Minister of Defense (Japan)

Minister of Defense 防衛大臣
File:Standard of the Minister of Defence of Japan.svg Standard of the Minister of Defense
File:Gen Nakatani 20241003.jpg Incumbent Gen Nakatani since 1 October 2024 (2024-10-01)
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 (2007-01-09)
First holder	Fumio Kyuma
Deputy	State Minister of Defense
Salary	¥20,916,000

The , or Bōei-shō (防衛相), is a member of the Japanese cabinet and is the leader of the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

The minister of defense is appointed by the Prime Minister and is a member of the National Security Council.

List of ministers of defense (2007–present)

  LDP
  DPJ
  Independent

Minister of Defense				Term of office			Prime Minister
#	Portrait		Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		File:Fumio Kyuma in Pentagon.jpg	Fumio Kyuma	January 9, 2007	July 4, 2007	176 days		Shinzō Abe
2		File:Yuriko Koike, Aug. 17, 2007.jpg	Yuriko Koike	July 4, 2007	August 27, 2007	54 days
3		File:Komura Masahiko 1-3.jpg	Masahiko Kōmura	August 27, 2007	September 26, 2007	30 days
4		File:Gates meets Ishiba 8 November 2007 cropped for Ishiba.jpg	Shigeru Ishiba	September 26, 2007	August 2, 2008	311 days		Yasuo Fukuda
5		File:Y. Hayashi.png	Yoshimasa Hayashi	August 2, 2008	September 24, 2008	53 days
6		File:Hamada Yasukazu 1-3.jpg	Yasukazu Hamada	September 24, 2008	September 16, 2009	357 days		Taro Aso
7		File:Toshimi Kitazawa Oct. 21, 2009.jpg	Toshimi Kitazawa	September 16, 2009	September 2, 2011	1 year, 351 days		Yukio Hatoyama
								Naoto Kan
8		File:Minister Ichikawa.jpg	Yasuo Ichikawa	September 2, 2011	January 13, 2012	133 days		Yoshihiko Noda
9		File:Naoki Tanaka-1.jpg	Naoki Tanaka	January 13, 2012	June 4, 2012	143 days
10		File:Satoshi Morimoto at the Pentagon August 3, 2012 crop.jpg	Satoshi Morimoto	June 4, 2012	December 26, 2012	205 days
11		File:Defense Minister Onodera.jpg	Itsunori Onodera	December 26, 2012	September 3, 2014	1 year, 251 days		Shinzō Abe
12		File:Akinori Eto.jpg	Akinori Eto	September 3, 2014	December 24, 2014	112 days
13		File:Gen Nakatani 4 Apr 2007 without US flag.jpg	Gen Nakatani	December 24, 2014	August 3, 2016	1 year, 223 days
14		File:Tomomi Inada 20121226 (cropped).jpg	Tomomi Inada	August 3, 2016	July 28, 2017	359 days
–		File:Fumio Kishida 20160202 (cropped).jpg	Fumio Kishida (Acting)	July 28, 2017	August 3, 2017	6 days
15 (11)		File:Minister of Defense for Japan Itsunori Onodera in Washington, D.C., August 17, 2017 (36238435810) (cropped).jpg	Itsunori Onodera	August 3, 2017	October 2, 2018	1 year, 60 days
16		File:Acting Secretary of Defense meets with Minister of Defense of Japan 190419-D-HA938-101 (cropped).jpg	Takeshi Iwaya	October 2, 2018	September 11, 2019	344 days
17		File:Tarō Kōno 20190912 (cropped).jpg	Tarō Kōno	September 11, 2019	September 16, 2020	1 year, 5 days
18		File:Nobuo Kishi 20141116.jpg	Nobuo Kishi	September 16, 2020	August 10, 2022	1 year, 328 days		Yoshihide Suga
								Fumio Kishida
19 (6)		File:HAMADA Yasukazu cropped from DM HAMADA Yasukazu and US Amb Rahm Emmanuel.jpg	Yasukazu Hamada	August 10, 2022	September 13, 2023	1 year, 34 days
20		File:Minoru Kihara 20190906.jpg	Minoru Kihara	September 13, 2023	October 1, 2024	1 year, 18 days
21 (13)		File:Gen Nakatani 20241003.jpg	Gen Nakatani	October 1, 2024	Incumbent	265 days		Shigeru Ishiba