# Deputy Prime Minister of Japan

The deputy prime Minister of Japan (副総理, Fuku-sōri) is the second highest-ranking officer of the executive branch of the government of Japan after the prime minister of Japan, and ranks first in the line of succession to the prime minister. The office of the deputy prime minister is not a permanent position, and exists only at the discretion of the prime minister.
The deputy prime minister is appointed by the prime minister and must be a member of the cabinet, for instance Taro Aso served as Minister of Finance concurrently. Should the prime minister be incapacitated or resign, the deputy prime minister does not automatically succeed to the position, but instead exercises the duties of the prime minister until the National Diet elects a successor. Tarō Asō was the longest-serving deputy prime minister.
This position has been vacant since 4 October 2021.

## List of deputy prime ministers of Japan

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Portfolio | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Party | Party | Portfolio | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| 1 | | Kijūrō Shidehara 幣原 喜重郎 Shidehara Kijūrō (1872–1951) | 3 May 1947 | 24 May 1947 | | JPP | Demobilization Board | | Yoshida JLP (1946–1947) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 24 May 1947 | 1 June 1947 | — | — | — | | Katayama JSP (1947–1948) |
| 2 | | Hitoshi Ashida 芦田 均 Ashida Hitoshi (1887–1959) | 1 June 1947 | 10 March 1948 | | DP | Foreign Affairs | | Katayama JSP (1947–1948) |
| 3 | | Suehiro Nishio 西尾 末広 Nishio Suehiro (1891–1981) | 10 March 1948 | 6 July 1948 | | DP | Minister of State | | Ashida DP (1948) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 6 July 1948 | 19 October 1948 | — | — | — | | | Ashida DP (1948) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 6 July 1948 | 19 October 1948 | — | — | — | | Yoshida DLP (until 1950) LP (from 1950) (1948–1954) |
| 4 | | Jōji Hayashi [jp] 林 譲治 Hayashi Jōji (1889–1960) | 19 October 1948 | 13 March 1951 | | DLP (until 1950) | Health (1948–1950) | | Yoshida DLP (until 1950) LP (from 1950) (1948–1954) |
| 4 | | Jōji Hayashi [jp] 林 譲治 Hayashi Jōji (1889–1960) | 19 October 1948 | 13 March 1951 | | LP (from 1950) | Health (1948–1950) | | Yoshida DLP (until 1950) LP (from 1950) (1948–1954) |
| 4 | | Jōji Hayashi [jp] 林 譲治 Hayashi Jōji (1889–1960) | 19 October 1948 | 13 March 1951 | | LP (from 1950) | Minister of State (1950–1951) | | Yoshida DLP (until 1950) LP (from 1950) (1948–1954) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 13 March 1951 | 28 November 1952 | — | — | — | | | Yoshida DLP (until 1950) LP (from 1950) (1948–1954) |
| 5 | | Taketora Ogata 緒方 竹虎 Ogata Taketora (1888–1956) | 28 November 1952 | 10 December 1954 | | LP | Chief Cabinet Secretary | | Yoshida DLP (until 1950) LP (from 1950) (1948–1954) |
| 6 | | Mamoru Shigemitsu 重光 葵 Shigemitsu Mamoru (1887–1957) | 10 December 1954 | 23 December 1956 | | JDP (until 1955) | Foreign Affairs | | Hatoyama I. JDP (until 1955) LDP (from 1955) (1954–1956) |
| 6 | | Mamoru Shigemitsu 重光 葵 Shigemitsu Mamoru (1887–1957) | 10 December 1954 | 23 December 1956 | | LDP (from 1955) | Foreign Affairs | | Hatoyama I. JDP (until 1955) LDP (from 1955) (1954–1956) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 23 December 1956 | 20 May 1957 | — | — | — | | Ishibashi LDP (1956–1957) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 23 December 1956 | 20 May 1957 | — | — | — | | Kishi LDP (1957–1960) |
| 7 | | Mitsujirō Ishii 石井 光次郎 Ishii Mitsujirō (1889–1981) | 20 May 1957 | 12 June 1958 | | LDP | Minister of State (1957) | | Kishi LDP (1957–1960) |
| 7 | | Mitsujirō Ishii 石井 光次郎 Ishii Mitsujirō (1889–1981) | 20 May 1957 | 12 June 1958 | | LDP | Administrative Management Agency (1957–1958) | | Kishi LDP (1957–1960) |
| 7 | | Mitsujirō Ishii 石井 光次郎 Ishii Mitsujirō (1889–1981) | 20 May 1957 | 12 June 1958 | | LDP | Hokkaido Development Agency (1957–1958) | | Kishi LDP (1957–1960) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 12 June 1958 | 18 June 1959 | — | — | — | | | Kishi LDP (1957–1960) |
| 8 | | Shūji Masutani 益谷 秀次 Masutani Shūji (1888–1973) | 18 June 1959 | 19 July 1960 | | LDP | Administrative Management Agency | | Kishi LDP (1957–1960) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 19 July 1960 | 29 August 1972 | — | — | — | | Ikeda LDP (1960–1964) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 19 July 1960 | 29 August 1972 | — | — | — | | Satō LDP (1964–1972) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 19 July 1960 | 29 August 1972 | — | — | — | | Tanaka LDP (1972–1974) |
| 9 | | Takeo Miki 三木 武夫 Miki Takeo (1907–1988) | 29 August 1972 | 12 July 1974 | | LDP | Minister of State | | Tanaka LDP (1972–1974) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 12 July 1974 | 9 December 1974 | — | — | — | | | Tanaka LDP (1972–1974) |
| 10 | | Takeo Fukuda 福田 赳夫 Fukuda Takeo (1905–1995) | 9 December 1974 | 6 November 1976 | | LDP | Economic Planning Agency | | Miki LDP (1974–1976) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 6 November 1976 | 11 June 1980 | — | — | — | | | Miki LDP (1974–1976) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 6 November 1976 | 11 June 1980 | — | — | — | | Fukuda T. LDP (1976–1978) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 6 November 1976 | 11 June 1980 | — | — | — | | Ōhira LDP (1978–1980) |
| 11 | | Masayoshi Ito 伊東 正義 Itō Masayoshi (1913–1994) | 11 June 1980 | 7 July 1980 | | LDP | Chief Cabinet Secretary | | Himself as Acting Prime Minister |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 7 July 1980 | 22 July 1986 | — | — | — | | Suzuki LDP (1980–1982) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 7 July 1980 | 22 July 1986 | — | — | — | | Nakasone LDP (1982–1987) |
| 12 | | Shin Kanemaru 金丸 信 Kanemaru Shin (1914–1996) | 22 July 1986 | 6 November 1987 | | LDP | Minister of State | | Nakasone LDP (1982–1987) |
| 13 | | Kiichi Miyazawa 宮澤 喜一 Miyazawa Kiichi (1919–2007) | 6 November 1987 | 9 December 1988 | | LDP | Minister of State | | Takeshita LDP (1987–1989) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 9 December 1988 | 5 November 1991 | — | — | — | | | Takeshita LDP (1987–1989) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 9 December 1988 | 5 November 1991 | — | — | — | | Uno LDP (1987–1988) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 9 December 1988 | 5 November 1991 | — | — | — | | Kaifu LDP (1989–1991) |
| 14 | | Michio Watanabe 渡辺 美智雄 Watanabe Michio (1923–1995) | 5 November 1991 | 7 April 1993 | | LDP | Foreign Affairs | | Miyazawa LDP (1991–1993) |
| 15 | | Masaharu Gotōda 後藤田 正晴 Gotōda Masaharu (1914–2005) | 8 April 1993 | 9 August 1993 | | LDP | Justice | | Miyazawa LDP (1991–1993) |
| 16 | | Tsutomu Hata 羽田 孜 Hata Tsutomu (1935–2017) | 9 August 1993 | 28 April 1994 | | JRP | Foreign Affairs | | Hosokawa JNP (1993–1994) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 28 April 1994 | 30 June 1994 | — | — | — | | Hata JRP (1994) |
| 17 | | Yōhei Kōno 河野 洋平 Kōno Yōhei (born 1937) | 30 June 1994 | 2 October 1995 | | LDP | Foreign Affairs | | Murayama JSP (1994–1996) |
| 18 | | Ryutaro Hashimoto 橋本 龍太郎 Hashimoto Ryūtarō (1937–2006) | 2 October 1995 | 11 January 1996 | | LDP | Trade | | Murayama JSP (1994–1996) |
| 19 | | Wataru Kubo 久保 亘 Kubo Wataru (1929–2003) | 11 January 1996 | 7 November 1996 | | SDP | Finance | | Hashimoto LDP (1996–1998) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 7 November 1996 | 16 September 2009 | — | — | — | | | Hashimoto LDP (1996–1998) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 7 November 1996 | 16 September 2009 | — | — | — | | Obuchi LDP (1998–2000) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 7 November 1996 | 16 September 2009 | — | — | — | | Mori LDP (2000–2001) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 7 November 1996 | 16 September 2009 | — | — | — | | Koizumi LDP (2001–2006) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 7 November 1996 | 16 September 2009 | — | — | — | | Abe LDP (2006–2007) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 7 November 1996 | 16 September 2009 | — | — | — | | Fukuda Y. LDP (2007–2008) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 7 November 1996 | 16 September 2009 | — | — | — | | Asō LDP (2008–2009) |
| 20 | | Naoto Kan 菅 直人 Kan Naoto (born 1946) | 16 September 2009 | 8 June 2010 | | DPJ | Minister of State | | Hatoyama Y. DPJ (2009–2010) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 8 June 2010 | 13 January 2012 | — | — | — | | Kan DPJ (2010–2011) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 8 June 2010 | 13 January 2012 | — | — | — | | Noda DPJ (2011–2012) |
| 21 | | Katsuya Okada 岡田 克也 Okada Katsuya (born 1953) | 13 January 2012 | 26 December 2012 | | DPJ | Minister of State | | Noda DPJ (2011–2012) |
| 22 | | Tarō Asō 麻生 太郎 Asō Tarō (born 1940) | 26 December 2012 | 4 October 2021 | | LDP | Finance | | Abe LDP (2012–2020) |
| 22 | | Tarō Asō 麻生 太郎 Asō Tarō (born 1940) | 26 December 2012 | 4 October 2021 | | LDP | Finance | | Suga LDP (2020–2021) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 4 October 2021 | Present | — | — | — | | Kishida LDP (2021–2024) |
| — | Vacant | Vacant | 4 October 2021 | Present | — | — | — | | Ishiba LDP (since 2024) |