# Minister of Justice (Japan)

The Minister of Justice (法務大臣, Hōmu Daijin) is a member of the Cabinet of Japan and is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of Justice. The minister is nominated by the Prime Minister of Japan and is appointed by the Emperor of Japan.
The current minister is Keisuke Suzuki, who took office on 11 November 2024.

## Organization and authority

On 1 August 1952, the Attorney General's Office became the Ministry of Justice, headed by a Minister of Justice rather than an attorney general.
By law, the Minister of Justice is authorized to order executions of any inmate on death row at anytime, making the position highly influential. The Minister is also authorized to deport or grant any foreigner residential or permanent visas.

## List of ministers of justice
### 1952–2000

Independent Liberal Democratic Japan Renewal Democratic Socialist
| Justice minister | Justice minister | Justice minister | Justice minister | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Prime minister | Prime minister |
| # | Portrait | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Days | Prime minister | Prime minister |
| 1 | | | Tokutaro Kimura | August 1, 1952 | October 30, 1952 | 90 | | Shigeru Yoshida |
| 2 | | | Takeru Inukai | October 30, 1952 | April 22, 1954 | 539 | | Shigeru Yoshida |
| 3 | | | Ryogo Kato | April 22, 1954 | June 19, 1954 | 58 | | Shigeru Yoshida |
| 4 | | | Naoshi Ohara | June 19, 1954 | December 10, 1954 | 174 | | Shigeru Yoshida |
| 5 | | | Shiro Hamamura | December 10, 1954 | November 22, 1955 | 347 | | Ichirō Hatoyama |
| 6 | | | Ryozo Makino | November 22, 1955 | December 23, 1956 | 397 | | Ichirō Hatoyama |
| 7 | | | Umekichi Nakamura | December 23, 1956 | July 10, 1957 | 199 | | Tanzan Ishibashi |
| 7 | | | Umekichi Nakamura | December 23, 1956 | July 10, 1957 | 199 | | Nobusuke Kishi |
| 8 | | | Toshiki Karasa | July 10, 1957 | June 12, 1958 | 337 | | Nobusuke Kishi |
| 9 | | | Kiichi Aichi | June 12, 1958 | June 18, 1959 | 371 | | Nobusuke Kishi |
| 10 | | | Hiroya Ino | June 18, 1959 | July 19, 1960 | 397 | | Nobusuke Kishi |
| 11 | | | Tetsuzo Kojima | July 19, 1960 | December 8, 1960 | 142 | | Hayato Ikeda |
| 12 | | | Koshiro Ueki | December 8, 1960 | July 18, 1962 | 587 | | Hayato Ikeda |
| 13 | | | Kunio Nakagaki | July 18, 1962 | July 18, 1963 | 365 | | Hayato Ikeda |
| 14 | | | Okinori Kaya | July 18, 1963 | July 18, 1964 | 366 | | Hayato Ikeda |
| 15 | | | Hitoshi Takahashi | July 18, 1964 | June 3, 1965 | 320 | | Hayato Ikeda |
| 15 | | | Hitoshi Takahashi | July 18, 1964 | June 3, 1965 | 320 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 16 | | | Mitsujirō Ishii | June 3, 1965 | December 3, 1966 | 548 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 17 | | | Isaji Tanaka | December 3, 1966 | November 25, 1967 | 357 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 18 | | | Bunzo Akama | November 25, 1967 | November 30, 1968 | 371 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 19 | | | Kichinosuke Saigo | November 30, 1968 | January 14, 1970 | 410 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 20 | | | Takeji Kobayashi | January 14, 1970 | February 9, 1971 | 391 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 21 | | | Daisuke Akita | February 9, 1971 | February 17, 1971 | 8 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 22 (12) | | | Koshiro Ueki | February 17, 1971 | July 5, 1971 | 138 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 23 | | | Shigesaburō Maeo | July 5, 1971 | July 7, 1972 | 368 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 24 | | | Yuichi Kori | July 7, 1972 | December 22, 1972 | 168 | | Kakuei Tanaka |
| 25 | | | Isaji Tanaka | December 22, 1972 | November 25, 1973 | 338 | | Kakuei Tanaka |
| 26 | | | Umekichi Nakamura | November 25, 1973 | November 11, 1974 | 351 | | Kakuei Tanaka |
| 27 | | | Seigo Hamano | November 11, 1974 | December 9, 1974 | 28 | | Kakuei Tanaka |
| 28 | | | Osamu Inaba | December 9, 1974 | December 24, 1976 | 746 | | Takeo Miki |
| 29 | | | Hajime Fukuda | December 24, 1976 | October 5, 1977 | 285 | | Takeo Fukuda |
| 30 | | | Mitsuo Setayama | October 5, 1977 | December 7, 1978 | 428 | | Takeo Fukuda |
| 31 | | | Yoshimi Furui | December 7, 1978 | November 9, 1979 | 337 | | Masayoshi Ōhira |
| 32 | | | Tadao Kuraishi | November 9, 1979 | July 17, 1980 | 251 | | Masayoshi Ōhira |
| 33 | | | Seisuke Okuno | July 17, 1980 | November 30, 1980 | 502 | | Zenkō Suzuki |
| 34 | | | Michita Sakata | November 30, 1980 | November 27, 1982 | 727 | | Zenkō Suzuki |
| 35 | | | Hatano Akira | November 27, 1982 | December 27, 1983 | 395 | | Yasuhiro Nakasone |
| 36 | | | Eisaku Sumi | December 27, 1983 | November 1, 1984 | 310 | | Yasuhiro Nakasone |
| 37 | | | Hitoshi Shimazaki | November 1, 1984 | December 28, 1985 | 422 | | Yasuhiro Nakasone |
| 38 | | | Seigo Suzuki | December 28, 1985 | July 22, 1986 | 206 | | Yasuhiro Nakasone |
| 39 | | | Kaname Endo | July 22, 1986 | November 6, 1987 | 472 | | Yasuhiro Nakasone |
| 40 | | | Yukio Hasegawa | November 6, 1987 | December 27, 1988 | 416 | | Noboru Takeshita |
| 41 | | | Takashi Hasegawa | December 27, 1998 | December 30, 1998 | 3 | | Noboru Takeshita |
| 42 | | | Masami Takatsuji | December 30, 1998 | June 3 1989 | 185 | | Noboru Takeshita |
| 43 | | | Kazuo Tanikawa | June 3 1989 | August 10, 1989 | 38 | | Sōsuke Uno |
| 44 | | | Masao Goto | August 10, 1989 | February 28, 1990 | 202 | | Toshiki Kaifu |
| 45 | | | Shin Hasegawa | February 28, 1990 | September 13, 1990 | 197 | | Toshiki Kaifu |
| 46 | | | Seiroku Kajiyama | September 13, 1990 | December 29, 1990 | 107 | | Toshiki Kaifu |
| 47 | | | Megumi Sato | December 29, 1990 | November 5, 1991 | 676 | | Toshiki Kaifu |
| 48 | | | Takashi Tawara | November 5, 1991 | December 12, 1992 | 403 | | Kiichi Miyazawa |
| 49 | | | Masaharu Gotōda | December 12, 1992 | August 9, 1993 | 240 | | Kiichi Miyazawa |
| 50 | | | Akira Mikazuki | August 9, 1993 | April 28, 1994 | 262 | | Morihiro Hosokawa |
| 52 | | | Nagano Shigeto | April 28, 1994 | May 8, 1994 | 10 | | Tsutomu Hata |
| 53 | | | Hiroshi Nakai | May 8, 1994 | June 30, 1994 | 53 | | Tsutomu Hata |
| 54 | | | Isao Maeda | June 30, 1994 | August 8, 1995 | 404 | | Tomiichi Murayama |
| 55 | | | Tomoharu Tazawa | August 8, 1995 | October 8, 1995 | 61 | | Tomiichi Murayama |
| 56 | | | Hiroshi Miyazawa | October 8, 1995 | January 11, 1996 | 95 | | Tomiichi Murayama |
| 57 | | | Ritsuko Nagao | January 11, 1996 | November 7, 1996 | 301 | | Ryutaro Hashimoto |
| 58 | | | Isao Matsuura | November 7, 1996 | September 11, 1997 | 308 | | Ryutaro Hashimoto |
| 59 | | | Kokichi Shimoinaba | September 11, 1997 | July 30, 1998 | 322 | | Ryutaro Hashimoto |
| 60 | | | Shozaburo Nakamura | July 30, 1998 | March 8, 1999 | 221 | | Keizō Obuchi |
| 61 | | | Takao Jinnouchi | March 8, 1999 | October 5, 1999 | 211 | | Keizō Obuchi |
| 62 | | | Hideo Usui | October 5, 1999 | July 4, 2000 | 273 | | Keizō Obuchi |
| 62 | | | Hideo Usui | October 5, 1999 | July 4, 2000 | 273 | | Yoshirō Mori |
| 63 | | | Okiharu Yasuoka | July 4, 2000 | December 5, 2000 | 154 | | Yoshirō Mori |
| 64 | | | Masahiko Komura | December 5, 2000 | January 6, 2001 | 32 | | Yoshirō Mori |

### 2001–present

Liberal Democratic  Democratic
| Justice minister | Justice minister | Justice minister | Justice minister | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Prime minister | Prime minister |
| # | Portrait | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Days | Prime minister | Prime minister |
| 65 (64) | | | Masahiko Kōmura | January 6, 2001 | April 26, 2001 | 110 | | Yoshirō Mori |
| 66 | | | Mayumi Moriyama | April 26, 2001 | September 22, 2003 | 879 | | Junichiro Koizumi |
| 67 | | | Daizō Nozawa | September 22, 2003 | September 27, 2004 | 371 | | Junichiro Koizumi |
| 68 | | | Chieko Nōno | September 27, 2004 | October 31, 2005 | 399 | | Junichiro Koizumi |
| 69 | | | Seiken Sugiura | October 31, 2005 | September 26, 2006 | 330 | | Junichiro Koizumi |
| 70 | | | Jinen Nagase | September 26, 2006 | August 27, 2007 | 335 | | Shinzo Abe |
| 71 | | | Kunio Hatoyama | August 27, 2007 | August 2, 2008 | 341 | | Shinzo Abe |
| 71 | | | Kunio Hatoyama | August 27, 2007 | August 2, 2008 | 341 | | Yasuo Fukuda |
| 72 | | | Okiharu Yasuoka | August 2, 2008 | September 24, 2008 | 53 | | Yasuo Fukuda |
| 73 | | | Eisuke Mori | September 24, 2008 | September 16, 2009 | 357 | | Taro Aso |
| 74 | | | Keiko Chiba | September 16, 2009 | September 7, 2010 | 356 | | Yukio Hatoyama |
| 74 | | | Keiko Chiba | September 16, 2009 | September 7, 2010 | 356 | | Naoto Kan |
| 75 | | | Minoru Yanagida | September 7, 2010 | November 22, 2010 | 76 | | Naoto Kan |
| 76 | | | Yoshito Sengoku | November 22, 2010 | January 14, 2011 | 53 | | Naoto Kan |
| 77 | | | Satsuki Eda | January 14, 2011 | September 2, 2011 | 231 | | Naoto Kan |
| 78 | | | Hideo Hiraoka | September 2, 2011 | January 13, 2012 | 133 | | Yoshihiko Noda |
| 79 | | | Toshio Ogawa | January 13, 2012 | June 4, 2012 | 143 | | Yoshihiko Noda |
| 16 | | | Makoto Taki | June 4, 2012 | October 1, 2012 | 119 | | Yoshihiko Noda |
| 17 | | | Keishu Tanaka | October 1, 2012 | October 23, 2012 | 22 | | Yoshihiko Noda |
| 18 (16) | | | Makoto Taki | October 23, 2012 | December 26, 2012 | 64 | | Yoshihiko Noda |
| 19 | | | Sadakazu Tanigaki | December 26, 2012 | September 3, 2014 | 616 | | Shinzo Abe |
| 20 | | | Midori Matsushima | September 3, 2014 | October 20, 2014 | 47 | | Shinzo Abe |
| 21 | | | Yōko Kamikawa | October 20, 2014 | October 7, 2015 | 352 | | Shinzo Abe |
| 22 | | | Mitsuhide Iwaki | October 7, 2015 | August 3, 2016 | 301 | | Shinzo Abe |
| 23 | | | Katsutoshi Kaneda | August 3, 2016 | August 3, 2017 | 365 | | Shinzo Abe |
| 24 (21) | | | Yōko Kamikawa | August 3, 2017 | October 2, 2018 | 425 | | Shinzo Abe |
| 25 | | | Takashi Yamashita | October 2, 2018 | September 11, 2019 | 344 | | Shinzo Abe |
| 26 | | | Katsuyuki Kawai | September 11, 2019 | October 31, 2019 | 50 | | Shinzo Abe |
| 27 | | | Masako Mori | October 31, 2019 | September 16, 2020 | 321 | | Shinzo Abe |
| 28 (21) | | | Yōko Kamikawa | September 16, 2020 | October 4, 2021 | 383 | | Yoshihide Suga |
| 29 | | | Yoshihisa Furukawa | October 4, 2021 | 10 August 2022 | 310 | | Fumio Kishida |
| 30 | | | Yasuhiro Hanashi | 10 August 2022 | 11 November 2022 | 93 | | Fumio Kishida |
| 31 | | | Ken Saitō | November 11, 2022 | September 13, 2023 | 306 | | Fumio Kishida |
| 32 | | | Ryuji Koizumi | September 13, 2023 | October 1, 2024 | 384 | | Fumio Kishida |
| 33 | | | Hideki Makihara | October 1, 2024 | November 11, 2024 | 41 | | Shigeru Ishiba |
| 34 | | | Keisuke Suzuki | November 11, 2024 | Incumbent | 52 | | Shigeru Ishiba |