| Agency Name: | Ministry of Communications |
| Nativename: | 逓信省 |
| Nativename R: | Teishin-shō |
| Superseding1: | Ministry of Posts |
| Superseding2: | Ministry of Telecommunications |
| Headquarters: | Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan |
| Parent Agency: | Government of Japan |
| Region Code: | JP |
The was a Cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan. Its modern successors include the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan Post and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
On December 22, 1885 the Ministry of Communications was established, combining the Bureau of Posts and Post Station Maintenance and Shipping Bureau formerly under the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce with the Telegraph Bureau and Lighthouse Management Bureau formerly under the Ministry of Industry. On August 16, 1891, the ministry was also placed in charge of the nascent Japanese electric power industry. On July 21, 1892, the Railway Bureau was transferred to the Ministry of Communications from the Home Ministry and from November 10, 1893, the ministry was charged with the supervision of all land and water transportation businesses.
However, on December 5, 1908, the Railway Bureau was separated to become an independent bureau reporting directly to the Cabinet.
In April 1923, responsibility for civil aviation supervision was transferred to the Ministry of Communications from the Army Ministry. With the creation of the Railway Ministry in May 1928, supervision of all land transportation was removed from the Ministry of Communications. With the establishment in January 1938 of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, all matters pertaining to the postal insurance program were transferred to the new ministry, with the Ministry of Communications retaining control of the post offices and managing the postal system (including the Postal savings system. In December 1941, an external Maritime Affairs Council was established and took over the Lighthouse Bureau.
On November 1, 1943 the Ministry of Communications was merged with Railway Ministry to become the Ministry of Communications and Transport. Electrical production and aircraft manufacturing regulation was transferred to the Minister of Munitions. Posts, telephone and telegraph, post office bank and insurance came under the Communications Institute, where issues relating the transportation came under the Directorate General of Shipping.
In May 1945, the Communications Institute became the Board of Communications, reporting directly to the Cabinet, and the Ministry of Communications and Transport was renamed the Ministry of Transport.
After the surrender of Japan, the American occupation authorities briefly reestablished the Ministry of Communications on April 1, 1946; however it was in charge of only posts, telecommunications and the security of aerial navigation. The Ministry was formally abolished on April 1, 1949 and its responsibilities divided between the new Ministry of Postal Services and Ministry of Telecommunications.
| Name | Cabinet | Date in office | comments | |
| 1 | 22 December 1885 | concurrently Agriculture & Commerce | ||
| 2 | 30 April 1888 | |||
| 3 | 2nd Itō | 8 August 1892 | ||
| 4 | 2nd Itō | 17 March 1895 | concurrently Finance Minister | |
| 5 | 2nd Itō, 2nd Matsukata | 9 October 1895 | ||
| 6 | 2nd Matsukata | 26 September 1898 | ||
| 7 | 3rd Itō | 12 January 1898 | ||
| 8 | 30 June 1898 | |||
| 9 | 2nd Yamagata | 8 November 1898 | ||
| 10 | 4th Itō | 19 October 1900 | ||
| 11 | 4th Itō | 22 December 1900 | ||
| 12 | Yoshikawa Akimasa | 2 June 1901 | ||
| 13 | 1st Katsura | 17 July 1903 | concurrently Finance Minister | |
| 14 | 1st Katsura | 12 September 1903 | ||
| 15 | 7 July 1906 | |||
| 16 | Hara Takashi | 1st Saionji | 14 January 1908 | concurrently Home Minister |
| 17 | 1st Saionji | 25 March 1908 | ||
| 18 | 2nd Katsura | 14 July 1908 | ||
| 19 | 2nd Katsura | 30 August 1911 | concurrently Home Minister | |
| 20 | Gotō Shinpei | 3rd Katsura | 21 December 1912 | |
| 21 | 20 February 1913 | |||
| 22 | 16 April 1914 | |||
| 23 | 2nd Ōkuma | 10 August 1915 | ||
| 24 | 9 October 1916 | |||
| 25 | 29 September 1918 | |||
| 26 | 12 June 1922 | |||
| 27 | 2 September 1923 | concurrently Education Minister | ||
| 28 | 7 January 1924 | |||
| 29 | Inukai Tsuyoshi | 11 June 1924 | ||
| 30 | 30 May 1925 | |||
| 31 | Mochizuki Keisuke | 20 April 1927 | ||
| 32 | Fusanosuke Kuhara | 23 May 1928 | ||
| 33 | Hamaguchi, 2nd Wakatsuki | 2 July 1929 | ||
| 34 | 13 December 1931 | |||
| 35 | 26 May 1932 | |||
| 36 | 8 July 1934 | |||
| 37 | Okada | 9 September 1935 | concurrently Prime Minister | |
| 38 | Mochizuki Keisuke | Okada | 12 September 1935 | |
| 39 | 9 March 1936 | |||
| 40 | 2 February 1937 | concurrently Agriculture & Forestry Minister | ||
| 41 | Hayashi | 10 February 1937 | ||
| 42 | Ryūtarō Nagai | 4 June 1937 | ||
| 43 | 5 January 1939 | concurrently Justice Minister | ||
| 44 | Hiranuma | 7 April 1939 | ||
| 45 | Ryūtarō Nagai | 30 August 1939 | concurrently Railway Minister | |
| 46 | 16 January 1940 | |||
| 47 | 2nd Konoe, 3rd Konoe | 22 July 1940 | ||
| 48 | 18 October 1941 | |||
| 49 | Tōjō | 8 October 1943 | concurrently Railway Minister | |