Minister of Defense (Japan)
Minister of Defense of Japan | |
---|---|
Standard of the Minister of Defense | |
Ministry of Defense | |
Style | His Excellency |
Member of | Cabinet |
Reports to | The Prime Minister |
Appointer | The Prime Minister |
Term length | No fixed term |
Inaugural holder | Fumio Kyuma |
Formation | 9 January 2007 |
Deputy |
State Minister of Defense Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense Administrative Vice-Minister of Defense |
Website | www.mod.go.jp |
The Minister of Defense (防衛大臣 Bōei Daijin), or Bōei-shō (防衛相), is the Cabinet of Japan member in charge of the Ministry of Defense, known as the Defense Agency before 2007. The current Japanese Minister of Defense is Takeshi Iwaya.
On 26 December 2007, the government of Japan made the decision to upgrade its Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense in the expectation to have a far-reaching effect on Japan's future military development. The defense policy that has been pursued by Japan is based on the "Basic Policy for National Defense", which was adopted by the Cabinet in May 1957. Japan's main goal of national defense is the prevention of indirect as well as direct aggression from outside enemies.
History
The Japanese government made the upgrade from the Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense with a ceremony that was attended by then Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and the then-new Minister of Defense Fumio Kyuma. The creation of the Ministry of Defense was in conjunction with Prime Minister Abe's continued efforts to ensure a stronger image of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). The bill in which to upgrade the Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense was approved by the House of Representatives (lower house) in November 2007, and the House of Councillors (upper house) in mid-December 2007. In light of the Defense Agency being transformed into the Ministry of Defense, the JSDF was given the responsibilities of international operations, disaster relief and peacekeeping within the overseas locations.
Chain of command
- 1. Prime Minister
- 2. Minister of Defense
- 3. Chief of Staff, Joint Staff
- 4. Chief of Staff of the JGSDF
- 5. Chief of Staff of the JMSDF
- 6. Chief of Staff of the JASDF
Structure
The Supreme Commander of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), who does not formally constitute a uniformed military, is the Prime Minister. The Emperor of Japan is a constitutional monarch who does not have political or military authority over the JSDF; that authority rests with the Prime Minister. However, it is important to note that the Emperor formally appoints the Prime Minister to office. The Minister of Defense is responsible for the organization and formulating the national security policy. The budget request is drafted by the Ministry of Finance and making its own legislative proposals to the National Diet.
The Minister of Defense is advised on every concern related to the duties of the Japan Self-Defense Forces by the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff.
Ministers of Defense
Minister of Defense | Term of office | Prime Minister | ||||||
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# | Portrait | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Days | |||
1 | Fumio Kyuma | January 9, 2007 | July 4, 2007 | 176 | Shinzō Abe | |||
2 | Yuriko Koike | July 4, 2007 | August 27, 2007 | 54 | ||||
3 | Masahiko Kōmura | August 27, 2007 | September 26, 2007 | 30 | ||||
4 | Shigeru Ishiba | September 26, 2007 | August 2, 2008 | 311 | Yasuo Fukuda | |||
5 | Yoshimasa Hayashi | August 2, 2008 | September 24, 2008 | 53 | ||||
6 | Yasukazu Hamada | September 24, 2008 | September 16, 2009 | 357 | Taro Aso | |||
7 | Toshimi Kitazawa | September 16, 2009 | September 2, 2011 | 716 | Yukio Hatoyama | |||
Naoto Kan | ||||||||
8 | Yasuo Ichikawa | September 2, 2011 | January 13, 2012 | 133 | Yoshihiko Noda | |||
9 | Naoki Tanaka | January 13, 2012 | June 4, 2012 | 143 | ||||
10 | Satoshi Morimoto | June 4, 2012 | December 26, 2012 | 205 | ||||
11 | Itsunori Onodera | December 26, 2012 | September 3, 2014 | 616 | Shinzō Abe | |||
12 | Akinori Eto | September 3, 2014 | December 24, 2014 | 112 | ||||
13 | Gen Nakatani | December 24, 2014 | August 3, 2016 | 588 | ||||
14 | Tomomi Inada | August 3, 2016 | July 28, 2017 | 359 | ||||
– | Fumio Kishida (Acting) |
July 28, 2017 | August 3, 2017 | 6 | ||||
15 (11) |
Itsunori Onodera | August 3, 2017 | October 2, 2018 | 425 | ||||
16 | Takeshi Iwaya | October 2, 2018 | Incumbent | 10 |
References
Zhongguo, T. (27 December 2006) LexusNexis Academic, Japan’s upgrade of Defense Agency paves way to military power – HK-based agency. Retrieved 16 July 2010. “Library of Congress Country Studies”. JAPAN, The Defense Industry. . Retrieved 18 July 2010. Chinadaily.com.cn (10 January 2007) LexusNexus Academic, Defense Agency upgraded to Ministry. Retrieved 16 July 2010.