Minister of Defense (Japan) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minister of Defense
Standard of the Minister of Defense
Incumbent Minoru Kihara since 13 September 2023 (2023-09-13)
Ministry of Defense
Style	His Excellency
Member of	Cabinet National Security Council Defense Council
Reports to	The Prime Minister
Appointer	The Prime Minister subject to formal attestation by the Emperor
Precursor	Director General of the Defense Agency
Formation	9 January 2007; 18 years ago (2007-01-09)
First holder	Fumio Kyuma
Deputy	State Minister of Defense
Salary	¥20,916,000

The Minister of Defense (防衛大臣, Bōei Daijin) is a very important job in Japan. This person is part of the Japanese Cabinet, which is like the main team of leaders who help run the country. The Minister of Defense is also in charge of the Ministry of Defense. This ministry oversees Japan's armed forces, called the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

The Minister of Defense helps protect Japan. Their power over the military is second only to the Prime Minister of Japan. The Prime Minister is the top commander of the armed forces. The Prime Minister chooses the Minister of Defense. This minister is also a member of the National Security Council, which makes big decisions about Japan's safety. The current Minister of Defense is Minoru Kihara. He started his job on September 13, 2023.

How the Ministry of Defense Started

On December 26, 2007, the Government of Japan decided to change its Defense Agency into the Ministry of Defense. This was a big step for Japan's military future. Japan's defense plan is based on a "Basic Policy for National Defense" from May 1957. This policy helps Japan prevent attacks from outside enemies.

The Japanese government officially created the Ministry of Defense with a special event. The Prime Minister at the time, Shinzō Abe, and the new Minister of Defense, Fumio Kyuma, were there. This change was part of Prime Minister Abe's plan to make the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) stronger.

The idea to upgrade the Defense Agency was approved by Japan's parliament. The House of Representatives (the lower house) approved it in November 2007. The House of Councillors (the upper house) approved it in mid-December 2007. Minister Kyuma even gave a speech after the bill was approved.

With the Defense Agency becoming the Ministry of Defense, the JSDF got new duties. These included helping with international operations, disaster relief, and peacekeeping missions in other countries.

In 2019, Taro Kono became the first well-known politician to lead the Ministry of Defense. He was seen as a possible future Prime Minister. He had strong support from his political party.

Who is in Charge of Japan's Defense?

The person in charge of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) is the Prime Minister. Even though the Prime Minister is the top leader, they are not a uniformed military officer. The Emperor of Japan is the head of the country, but he does not have political or military power over the JSDF. That power belongs to the Prime Minister. However, the Emperor does formally appoint the Prime Minister to their job.

The Minister of Defense is responsible for organizing the military. They also help create Japan's national security plans. The Ministry of Finance helps prepare the budget for defense. The Ministry of Defense also suggests new laws to the National Diet, which is Japan's parliament.

The Minister of Defense gets advice from the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff. This person helps with all matters related to the duties of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Ministers of Defense (2007–Present)

Here is a list of the people who have served as the Minister of Defense since the ministry was created in 2007.

      LDP
      DPJ
      Independent

Minister of Defense				Time in Office			Prime Minister
#	Picture		Name	Started Job	Left Job	How Long They Served
1			Fumio Kyuma	January 9, 2007	July 4, 2007	176 days		Shinzō Abe
2			Yuriko Koike	July 4, 2007	August 27, 2007	54 days
3			Masahiko Kōmura	August 27, 2007	September 26, 2007	30 days
4			Shigeru Ishiba	September 26, 2007	August 2, 2008	311 days		Yasuo Fukuda
5			Yoshimasa Hayashi	August 2, 2008	September 24, 2008	53 days
6			Yasukazu Hamada	September 24, 2008	September 16, 2009	357 days		Taro Aso
7			Toshimi Kitazawa	September 16, 2009	September 2, 2011	1 year, 351 days		Yukio Hatoyama
								Naoto Kan
8			Yasuo Ichikawa	September 2, 2011	January 13, 2012	133 days		Yoshihiko Noda
9			Naoki Tanaka	January 13, 2012	June 4, 2012	143 days
10			Satoshi Morimoto	June 4, 2012	December 26, 2012	205 days
11			Itsunori Onodera	December 26, 2012	September 3, 2014	1 year, 251 days		Shinzō Abe
12			Akinori Eto	September 3, 2014	December 24, 2014	112 days
13			Gen Nakatani	December 24, 2014	August 3, 2016	1 year, 223 days
14			Tomomi Inada	August 3, 2016	July 28, 2017	359 days
–			Fumio Kishida (Acting)	July 28, 2017	August 3, 2017	6 days
15 (11)			Itsunori Onodera	August 3, 2017	October 2, 2018	1 year, 60 days
16			Takeshi Iwaya	October 2, 2018	September 11, 2019	344 days
17			Tarō Kōno	September 11, 2019	September 16, 2020	1 year, 5 days
18			Nobuo Kishi	September 16, 2020	August 10, 2022	1 year, 328 days		Yoshihide Suga
								Fumio Kishida
19 (6)			Yasukazu Hamada	August 10, 2022	September 13, 2023	1 year, 34 days
20			Minoru Kihara	September 13, 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 282 days

Japan's Defense After World War II

After World War II ended, the old Japanese armed forces were stopped. US forces then helped manage Japan's defense. In the early 1950s, a group called the National Police Reserve was formed. It was led by Minister of State Takeo Ōhashi. Later, this group was renamed the National Safety Force. In 1952, the Coastal Safety Force was also created to protect Japan's waters.

Ministers with Military Experience

Japan's Constitution says that all members of the Cabinet, including the Minister of Defense, must be civilians. This means they should not be active military members. However, people who were in the military before becoming politicians can still be appointed as Minister of Defense.

Here are some Ministers of Defense who had military experience:

• Raizo Matsuno - served in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
• Yasuhiro Nakasone - served in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
• Sōsuke Uno - served in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
• Soichiro Ito - served in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
• Shin Kanemaru - served briefly in the Kwantung Army.
• Satoshi Morimoto - served in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
• Gen Nakatani - served in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.

See also

• Ministers of the Army of Japan
• Ministers of the Navy of Japan