# Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan)

The minister for foreign affairs (外務大臣, Gaimu Daijin) is a member of the cabinet of Japan and is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The minister is responsible for implementing Japan's foreign policy and is also a statutory member of the National Security Council. The minister is nominated by the prime minister and is appointed by the emperor of Japan.
Since the end of the allied occupation of Japan, the position has been one of the most powerful in the cabinet, as Japan's economic interests have long relied on foreign relations. The recent efforts of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe to establish a more interventionist foreign policy have also heightened the importance of the position.
The current minister for foreign affairs is Takeshi Iwaya, who took office on October 1, 2024.

## List of ministers for foreign affairs

* Italics indicates subject served as Acting Foreign Minister.
* Bold indicates subject served concurrently as Prime Minister for a period of time.

### Empire of Japan (1885–1945)

| # | Name | Took office | Left office |
| 1 | Count Inoue Kaoru | December 1885 | September 1887 |
| – | Count Itō Hirobumi | September 1887 | February 1888 |
| 2 | Count Ōkuma Shigenobu (1st) | February 1888 | December 1889 |
| 3 | Viscount Aoki Shūzō (1st) | December 1889 | May 1891 |
| 4 | Viscount Enomoto Takeaki | May 1891 | August 1892 |
| 5 | Viscount Mutsu Munemitsu | August 1892 | May 1896 |
| 6 | Marquis Saionji Kinmochi (1st) | May 1896 | September 1896 |
| 2 | Count Ōkuma Shigenobu (2nd) | September 1896 | November 1897 |
| 7 | Baron Nishi Tokujirō | November 1897 | January 1898 |
| 2 | Count Ōkuma Shigenobu (3rd) | January 1898 | June 1898 |
| 3 | Viscount Aoki Shūzō (2nd) | June 1898 | October 1900 |
| 8 | Katō Takaaki (1st) | October 1900 | June 1901 |
| 9 | Sone Arasuke | June 1901 | September 1901 |
| 10 | Baron Komura Jutarō (1st) | September 1901 | January 1906 |
| 8 | Katō Takaaki (2nd) | January 1906 | March 1906 |
| 6 | Marquis Saionji Kinmochi (2nd) | March 1906 | May 1906 |
| 11 | Count Hayashi Tadasu | May 1906 | July 1908 |
| 12 | General Viscount Terauchi Masatake (1st) | July 1908 | August 1908 |
| 10 | Marquis Komura Jutarō (2nd) | August 1908 | August 1911 |
| 13 | Viscount Uchida Kosai (1st) | August 1911 | December 1912 |
| 14 | Prince Katsura Tarō | December 1912 | January 1913 |
| 8 | Baron Katō Takaaki (3rd) | January 1913 | February 1913 |
| 15 | Baron Makino Nobuaki | February 1913 | April 1914 |
| 8 | Baron Katō Takaaki (4th) | April 1914 | August 1915 |
| 2 | Count Ōkuma Shigenobu (4th) | August 1915 | October 1915 |
| 16 | Viscount Ishii Kikujirō | October 1915 | October 1916 |
| 12 | Marshal Count Terauchi Masatake (2nd) | October 1916 | November 1916 |
| 17 | Viscount Motono Ichirō | November 1916 | April 1918 |
| 18 | Baron Gotō Shinpei | April 1918 | September 1918 |
| 13 | Count Uchida Kosai (2nd) | September 1918 | 2 September 1923 |
| 19 | Admiral Count Yamamoto Gonnohyōe | 2 September 1923 | 19 September 1923 |
| 20 | Baron Ijuin Hikokichi | September 1923 | January 1924 |
| 21 | Baron Matsui Keishirō | January 1924 | June 1924 |
| 22 | Baron Kijūrō Shidehara (1st) | June 1924 | April 1927 |
| 23 | Baron Tanaka Giichi | April 1927 | July 1929 |
| 22 | Baron Kijūrō Shidehara (2nd) | July 1929 | December 1931 |
| 24 | Inukai Tsuyoshi | December 1931 | January 1932 |
| 25 | Kenkichi Yoshizawa | January 1932 | May 1932 |
| 26 | Admiral Viscount Saitō Makoto | May 1932 | July 1932 |
| 13 | Count Uchida Kosai (3rd) | July 1932 | September 1933 |
| 27 | Kōki Hirota (1st) | September 1933 | April 1936 |
| 28 | Hachirō Arita (1st) | April 1936 | February 1937 |
| 29 | Senjuro Hayashi | February 1937 | March 1937 |
| 30 | Naotake Satō | March 1937 | June 1937 |
| 27 | Kōki Hirota (2nd) | June 1937 | May 1938 |
| 31 | General Kazushige Ugaki | May 1938 | September 1938 |
| 32 | Prince Fumimaro Konoe | September 1938 | October 1938 |
| 28 | Hachirō Arita (2nd) | October 1938 | January 1939 |
| 33 | General Nobuyuki Abe | January 1939 | August 1939 |
| 34 | Admiral Kichisaburō Nomura | August 1939 | January 1940 |
| 28 | Hachirō Arita (3rd) | January 1940 | July 1940 |
| 35 | Yōsuke Matsuoka | July 1940 | July 1941 |
| 36 | Admiral Teijirō Toyoda | July 1941 | October 1941 |
| 37 | Shigenori Tōgō (1st) | October 1941 | September 1942 |
| 38 | General Hideki Tōjō | 1 September 1942 | 17 September 1942 |
| 39 | Masayuki Tani | September 1942 | April 1943 |
| 40 | Mamoru Shigemitsu (1st) | April 1943 | April 1945 |
| 41 | Admiral Baron Kantarō Suzuki | April 1945 | April 1945 |
| 37 | Shigenori Tōgō (2nd) | April 1945 | August 1945 |
| 40 | Mamoru Shigemitsu (2nd) | August 1945 | September 1945 |

### Postwar Japan (1945–present)

Liberal (1945)  Imperial Family  Progressive  Socialist  Democratic (1947)  Democratic Liberal  Liberal (1950)  Democratic (1954)  Liberal Democratic  Japan Renewal Party  Japan New Party  Liberal League  Democratic
| Foreign Minister | Foreign Minister | Foreign Minister | Foreign 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 |
| 43 | | | Shigeru Yoshida | September 15, 1945 | May 24, 1947 | 616 | | Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni |
| 43 | | | Shigeru Yoshida | September 15, 1945 | May 24, 1947 | 616 | | Kijūrō Shidehara |
| 43 | | | Shigeru Yoshida | September 15, 1945 | May 24, 1947 | 616 | | Shigeru Yoshida |
| - | | | Tetsu Katayama | May 24, 1947 | June 1, 1947 | 8 | | Tetsu Katayama |
| 44 | | | Hitoshi Ashida | June 1, 1947 | October 15, 1948 | 502 | | Tetsu Katayama |
| 44 | | | Hitoshi Ashida | June 1, 1947 | October 15, 1948 | 502 | | Hitoshi Ashida |
| (43) | | | Shigeru Yoshida | October 15, 1948 | April 30, 1952 | 1293 | | Shigeru Yoshida |
| 45 | | | Katsuo Okazaki | April 30, 1952 | December 10, 1954 | 954 | | Shigeru Yoshida |
| (40) | | | Mamoru Shigemitsu | December 10, 1954 | November 22, 1955 | 744 | | Ichirō Hatoyama |
| (40) | | | Mamoru Shigemitsu | November 22, 1955 | December 23, 1956 | 744 | | Ichirō Hatoyama |
| - | | | Tanzan Ishibashi | December 23, 1956 | December 23, 1956 | 0 | | Tanzan Ishibashi |
| 46 | | | Nobusuke Kishi | December 23, 1956 | July 10, 1957 | 199 | | Tanzan Ishibashi |
| 46 | | | Nobusuke Kishi | December 23, 1956 | July 10, 1957 | 199 | | Nobusuke Kishi |
| 47 | | | Aiichirō Fujiyama | July 10, 1957 | July 19, 1960 | 1105 | | Nobusuke Kishi |
| 48 | | | Zentaro Kosaka | July 19, 1960 | July 18, 1962 | 729 | | Hayato Ikeda |
| 49 | | | Masayoshi Ōhira | July 18, 1962 | July 18, 1964 | 731 | | Hayato Ikeda |
| 50 | | | Shiina Etsusaburo | July 18, 1964 | December 3, 1966 | 868 | | Hayato Ikeda |
| 50 | | | Shiina Etsusaburo | July 18, 1964 | December 3, 1966 | 868 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 51 | | | Takeo Miki | December 3, 1966 | October 29, 1968 | 696 | | Eisaku Satō |
| - | | | Eisaku Satō | October 29, 1968 | November 30, 1968 | 32 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 52 | | | Kiichi Aichi | November 30, 1968 | July 9, 1971 | 951 | | Eisaku Satō |
| 53 | | | Takeo Fukuda | July 9, 1971 | July 7, 1972 | 364 | | Eisaku Satō |
| (49) | | | Masayoshi Ōhira | July 7, 1972 | July 16, 1974 | 739 | | Kakuei Tanaka |
| 54 | | | Toshio Kimura | July 16, 1974 | December 9, 1974 | 146 | | Kakuei Tanaka |
| 55 | | | Kiichi Miyazawa | December 9, 1974 | September 5, 1976 | 646 | | Takeo Miki |
| (48) | | | Zentaro Kosaka | September 5, 1976 | December 24, 1976 | 100 | | Takeo Miki |
| 56 | | | Iichirō Hatoyama | December 24, 1976 | November 28, 1977 | 339 | | Takeo Fukuda |
| 57 | | | Sunao Sonoda | November 28, 1977 | November 8, 1979 | 710 | | Takeo Fukuda |
| 57 | | | Sunao Sonoda | November 28, 1977 | November 8, 1979 | 710 | | Masayoshi Ōhira |
| 58 | | | Saburō Ōkita | November 8, 1979 | July 17, 1980 | 252 | | Masayoshi Ōhira |
| 59 | | | Masayoshi Ito | July 17, 1980 | May 18, 1981 | 305 | | Zenkō Suzuki |
| (57) | | | Sunao Sonoda | May 18, 1981 | November 30, 1981 | 196 | | Zenkō Suzuki |
| 60 | | | Yoshio Sakurauchi | November 30, 1981 | November 27, 1982 | 362 | | Zenkō Suzuki |
| 61 | | | Shintaro Abe | November 27, 1982 | July 22, 1986 | 1333 | | Yasuhiro Nakasone |
| 62 | | | Tadashi Kuranari | July 22, 1986 | November 6, 1987 | 472 | | Yasuhiro Nakasone |
| 63 | | | Sosuke Uno | November 6, 1987 | June 3, 1989 | 575 | | Noboru Takeshita |
| 64 | | | Hiroshi Mitsuzuka | June 3, 1989 | August 10, 1989 | 68 | | Sosuke Uno |
| 65 | | | Taro Nakayama | August 10, 1989 | November 5, 1991 | 817 | | Toshiki Kaifu |
| 66 | | | Michio Watanabe | November 5, 1991 | April 7, 1993 | 519 | | Kiichi Miyazawa |
| 67 | | | Kabun Mutō | April 7, 1993 | August 9, 1993 | 124 | | Kiichi Miyazawa |
| 68 | | | Tsutomu Hata | August 9, 1993 | April 28, 1994 | 262 | | Morihiro Hosokawa |
| 69 | | | Koji Kakizawa | April 28, 1994 | June 30, 1994 | 63 | | Tsutomu Hata |
| 70 | | | Yōhei Kōno | June 30, 1994 | January 11, 1996 | 560 | | Tomiichi Murayama |
| 71 | | | Yukihiko Ikeda | January 11, 1996 | September 11, 1997 | 609 | | Ryutaro Hashimoto |
| 72 | | | Keizo Obuchi | September 11, 1997 | July 30, 1998 | 322 | | Ryutaro Hashimoto |
| 73 | | | Masahiko Kōmura | July 30, 1998 | October 5, 1999 | 432 | | Keizo Obuchi |
| (70) | | | Yōhei Kōno | October 5, 1999 | April 26, 2001 | 569 | | Keizo Obuchi |
| (70) | | | Yōhei Kōno | October 5, 1999 | April 26, 2001 | 569 | | Yoshiro Mori |
| 74 | | | Makiko Tanaka | April 26, 2001 | January 29, 2002 | 278 | | Junichiro Koizumi |
| 75 | | | Junichiro Koizumi (Acting) | January 29, 2002 | February 1, 2002 | 3 | | Junichiro Koizumi |
| 76 | | | Yoriko Kawaguchi | February 1, 2002 | September 27, 2004 | 969 | | Junichiro Koizumi |
| 77 | | | Nobutaka Machimura | September 27, 2004 | October 31, 2005 | 399 | | Junichiro Koizumi |
| 78 | | | Tarō Asō | October 31, 2005 | August 27, 2007 | 665 | | Junichiro Koizumi |
| 78 | | | Tarō Asō | October 31, 2005 | August 27, 2007 | 665 | | Shinzō Abe |
| (77) | | | Nobutaka Machimura | August 27, 2007 | September 26, 2007 | 30 | | Shinzō Abe |
| (73) | | | Masahiko Kōmura | September 26, 2007 | September 24, 2008 | 364 | | Yasuo Fukuda |
| 79 | | | Hirofumi Nakasone | September 24, 2008 | September 16, 2009 | 357 | | Tarō Asō |
| 80 | | | Katsuya Okada | September 16, 2009 | September 17, 2010 | 366 | | Yukio Hatoyama |
| 80 | | | Katsuya Okada | September 16, 2009 | September 17, 2010 | 366 | | Naoto Kan |
| 81 | | | Seiji Maehara | September 17, 2010 | March 7, 2011 | 171 | | Naoto Kan |
| – | | | Yukio Edano (Acting) | March 7, 2011 | March 9, 2011 | 2 | | Naoto Kan |
| 82 | | | Takeaki Matsumoto | March 9, 2011 | September 2, 2011 | 177 | | Naoto Kan |
| 83 | | | Kōichirō Genba | September 2, 2011 | December 26, 2012 | 481 | | Yoshihiko Noda |
| 84 | | | Fumio Kishida | December 26, 2012 | August 3, 2017 | 1681 | | Shinzō Abe |
| 85 | | | Taro Kono | August 3, 2017 | September 11, 2019 | 769 | | Shinzō Abe |
| 86 | | | Toshimitsu Motegi | September 11, 2019 | November 4, 2021 | 785 |
| 86 | | | Toshimitsu Motegi | September 11, 2019 | November 4, 2021 | 785 | | Yoshihide Suga |
| (84) | | | Fumio Kishida (Acting) | November 4, 2021 | November 10, 2021 | 6 | | Fumio Kishida |
| 87 | | | Yoshimasa Hayashi | November 10, 2021 | September 13, 2023 | 672 | | Fumio Kishida |
| 88 | | | Yōko Kamikawa | September 13, 2023 | October 1, 2024 | 384 | | Fumio Kishida |
| 89 | | | Takeshi Iwaya | October 1, 2024 | Incumbent | 97 | | Shigeru Ishiba |