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Deputy Prime Minister of Japan
Goshichi no kiri.svg
Emblem of the Government of Japan
Incumbent
Vacant

since 4 October 2021
Style Mr. Deputy Prime Minister
Member of Cabinet
National Security Council
Appointer The Prime Minister
attested to by the Emperor
Term length No fixed term
Inaugural holder Kijūrō Shidehara
Formation 3 May 1947
Succession First
Salary ¥20,916,000

The deputy prime Minister of Japan (副総理, Fuku-sōri) is the second highest-ranking officer of the executive branch of the government of Japan after the prime minister of Japan, and ranks first in the line of succession to the prime minister. The office of the deputy prime minister is not a permanent position, and exists only at the discretion of the prime minister.

The deputy prime minister is appointed by the prime minister and must be a member of the cabinet, for instance Taro Aso served as Minister of Finance concurrently. Unlike the vice president of the United States, the deputy prime minister does not automatically become the prime minister, should the latter be incapacitated or resign, but instead exercises the duties of the prime minister until the National Diet elects a successor. However, when Prime Minister Tanzan Ishibashi resigned in 1957, then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi (grandfather of Shinzo Abe and Nobuo Kishi) took the office of acting prime minister, and was officially elected by the National Diet a month later. Tarō Asō was the longest-serving deputy prime minister.

This position is currently vacant since 4 October 2021.

List of deputy prime ministers of Japan

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Party Portfolio Prime Minister
Took office Left office
1 Prime Minister Kijūrō Shidehara.jpg Kijūrō Shidehara
幣原 喜重郎
Shidehara Kijūrō
(1872–1951)
3 May
1947
24 May
1947
JPP Demobilization Board Yoshida
JLP
(1946–1947)
Office not in use 24 May
1947
1 June
1947
Katayama
JSP
(1947–1948)
2 Hitoshi Ashida.jpg Hitoshi Ashida
芦田 均
Ashida Hitoshi
(1887–1959)
1 June
1947
10 March
1948
DP Foreign Affairs
3 NISHIO Suehiro.jpg Suehiro Nishio
西尾 末広
Nishio Suehiro
(1891–1981)
10 March
1948
6 July
1948
DP Minister of State Ashida
DP
(1948)
Office not in use 6 July
1948
19 October
1948
Yoshida
DLP (until 1950)
LP (from 1950)
(1948–1954)
4 Joji hayashi.jpg Jōji Hayashi [jp]
林 譲治
Hayashi Jōji
(1889–1960)
19 October
1948
13 March
1951
DLP
(until 1950)
Health
(1948–1950)
LP
(from 1950)
Minister of State
(1950–1951)
Office not in use 13 March
1951
28 November
1952
5 OGATA Taketora.jpg Taketora Ogata
緒方 竹虎
Ogata Taketora
(1888–1956)
28 November
1952
10 December
1954
LP Chief Cabinet Secretary
6 Shigemitsu Mamoru.jpg Mamoru Shigemitsu
重光 葵
Shigemitsu Mamoru
(1887–1957)
10 December
1954
23 December
1956
JDP
(until 1955)
Foreign Affairs Hatoyama I.
JDP (until 1955)
LDP (from 1955)
(1954–1956)
LDP
(from 1955)
Office not in use 23 December
1956
20 May
1957
Ishibashi
LDP
(1956–1957)
Kishi
LDP
(1957–1960)
7 Mitsujiro Ishii.jpg Mitsujirō Ishii
石井 光次郎
Ishii Mitsujirō
(1889–1981)
20 May
1957
12 June
1958
LDP Minister of State
(1957)
Administrative
Management Agency
(1957–1958)
Hokkaido
Development Agency
(1957–1958)
Office not in use 12 June
1958
18 June
1959
8 Goshichi no kiri.svg Shūji Masutani
益谷 秀次
Masutani Shūji
(1888–1973)
18 June
1959
19 July
1960
LDP Administrative
Management Agency
Office not in use 19 July
1960
29 August
1972
Ikeda
LDP
(1960–1964)
Satō
LDP
(1964–1972)
Tanaka
LDP
(1972–1974)
9 Takeo Miki 19741209.jpg Takeo Miki
三木 武夫
Miki Takeo
(1907–1988)
29 August
1972
12 July
1974
LDP Minister of State
Office not in use 12 July
1974
9 December
1974
10 Takeo Fukuda 19761224.jpg Takeo Fukuda
福田 赳夫
Fukuda Takeo
(1905–1995)
9 December
1974
6 November
1976
LDP Economic
Planning Agency
Miki
LDP
(1974–1976)
Office not in use 6 November
1976
11 June
1980
Fukuda T.
LDP
(1976–1978)
Ōhira
LDP
(1978–1980)
11 Masayoshi Ito.jpg Masayoshi Ito
伊東 正義
Itō Masayoshi
(1913–1994)
11 June
1980
7 July
1980
LDP Chief Cabinet Secretary Himself as
Acting
Prime Minister
Office not in use 7 July
1980
22 July
1986
Suzuki
LDP
(1980–1982)
Nakasone
LDP
(1982–1987)
12 Shin Kanemaru - Yasuhiro Nakasone Cabinet 19860722.jpg Shin Kanemaru
金丸 信
Kanemaru Shin
(1914–1996)
22 July
1986
6 November
1987
LDP Minister of State
13 Kiichi Miyazawa cropped 1 Kiichi Miyazawa 19911105.jpg Kiichi Miyazawa
宮澤 喜一
Miyazawa Kiichi
(1919–2007)
6 November
1987
9 December
1988
LDP Minister of State Takeshita
LDP
(1987–1989)
Office not in use 9 December
1988
5 November
1991
Uno
LDP
(1987–1988)
Kaifu
LDP
(1989–1991)
14 Michio Watanabe 1993.jpg Michio Watanabe
渡辺 美智雄
Watanabe Michio
(1923–1995)
5 November
1991
7 April
1993
LDP Foreign Affairs Miyazawa
LDP
(1991–1993)
15 Minister of Jastice, Masaharu Gotōda (cropped).png Masaharu Gotōda
後藤田 正晴
Gotōda Masaharu
(1914–2005)
8 April
1993
9 August
1993
LDP Justice
16 Tsutomu Hata cropped 2 Tsutomu Hata 19940428.jpg Tsutomu Hata
羽田 孜
Hata Tsutomu
(1935–2017)
9 August
1993
28 April
1994
JRP Foreign Affairs Hosokawa
JNP
(1993–1994)
Office not in use 28 April
1994
30 June
1994
Hata
JRP
(1994)
17 Yōhei Kōno.jpg Yōhei Kōno
河野 洋平
Kōno Yōhei
(born 1937)
30 June
1994
2 October
1995
LDP Foreign Affairs Murayama
JSP
(1994–1996)
18 Ryutaro Hashimoto 19960111.jpg Ryutaro Hashimoto
橋本 龍太郎
Hashimoto Ryūtarō
(1937–2006)
2 October
1995
11 January
1996
LDP Trade
19 Wataru Kubo.jpg Wataru Kubo
久保 亘
Kubo Wataru
(1929–2003)
11 January
1996
7 November
1996
SDP Finance Hashimoto
LDP
(1996–1998)
Office not in use 7 November
1996
16 September
2009
Obuchi
LDP
(1998–2000)
Mori
LDP
(2000–2001)
Koizumi
LDP
(2001–2006)
Abe
LDP
(2006–2007)
Fukuda Y.
LDP
(2007–2008)
Asō
LDP
(2008–2009)
20 Kan Naoto.jpg Naoto Kan
菅 直人
Kan Naoto
(born 1946)
16 September
2009
8 June
2010
DPJ Minister of State Hatoyama Y.
DPJ
(2009–2010)
Office not in use 8 June
2010
13 January
2012
Kan
DPJ
(2010–2011)
Noda
DPJ
(2011–2012)
21 Katsuya Okada on March 29, 2010 V2.jpg Katsuya Okada
岡田 克也
Okada Katsuya
(born 1953)
13 January
2012
26 December
2012
DPJ Minister of State
22 Aso Taro.jpg Tarō Asō
麻生 太郎
Asō Tarō
(born 1940)
26 December
2012
4 October
2021
LDP Finance Abe
LDP
(2012–2020)
Suga
LDP
(2020–2021)
Office not in use 4 October
2021
Present Kishida
LDP
(since 2021)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Vice primer ministro de Japón para niños

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