Yoshimasa Hayashi

is a Japanese politician who has been the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications since 2025. He was the Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2023 until 2025. He was the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2021 to 2024. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He is also in the House of Representatives for the Yamaguchi 3rd district since 2021.

In August 2024, Hayashi announced his candidacy for the Liberal Democratic leadership election to replace Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He lost the election to former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba on 27 September 2024.

In September 2025, Hayashi announced his second candidacy for President of the Liberal Democratic Party in the Liberal Democratic leadership election to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. He was eliminated in the first round on 4 October. After Sanae Takaichi was confirmed as prime minister, she named Hayashi as the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in her cabinet.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Yoshimasa Hayashi
- **native name lang**: ja
- **image**: Hayashi yoshimasa.jpg
- **caption**: Official portrait, 2024
- **office**: Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
- **primeminister**: Sanae Takaichi
- **term start**: 21 October 2025
- **predecessor**: Seiichiro Murakami
- **office1**: Chief Cabinet Secretary
- **term start1**: 14 December 2023
- **term end1**: 21 October 2025
- **predecessor1**: Hirokazu Matsuno
- **successor1**: Minoru Kihara (politician), Minoru Kihara
- **primeminister1**: Fumio Kishida
Shigeru Ishiba
- **office2**: Minister of Foreign Affairs (Japan), Minister for Foreign Affairs
- **primeminister2**: Fumio Kishida
- **term start2**: 10 November 2021
- **term end2**: 13 September 2023
- **predecessor1”2**: Toshimitsu Motegi
Fumio Kishida (acting)
- **successor2**: Yoko Kamikawa
- **office3**: Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- **primeminister3**: Shinzō Abe
- **term start3**: 3 August 2017
- **term end3**: 2 October 2018
- **predecessor3**: Hirokazu Matsuno
- **successor3**: Hiroshi Moriyama
- **office4**: Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan), Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
- **primeminister4**: Shinzō Abe
- **term start4**: 23 February 2015
- **term end4**: 7 October 2015
- **predecessor4**: Koya Nishikawa
- **successor4**: Hiroshi Moriyama
- **primeminister5**: Shinzō Abe
- **term start5**: 26 December 2012
- **term end5**: 3 September 2014
- **predecessor5**: Akira Gunji
- **successor5**: Koya Nishikawa
- **office6**: Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
- **primeminister6**: Taro Aso
- **term start6**: 2 July 2009
- **term end6**: 16 September 2009
- **predecessor6**: Kaoru Yosano
- **successor6**: Naoto Kan
- **office7**: Minister of Defense (Japan), Minister of Defense
- **primeminister7**: Yasuo Fukuda
- **term start7**: 2 August 2008
- **term end7**: 24 September 2008
- **predecessor7**: Shigeru Ishiba
- **successor7**: Yasukazu Hamada
- **term start8**: 3 November 2021
- **predecessor8**: Takeo Kawamura (politician), Takeo Kawamura
- **term start9**: 24 July 1995
- **term end9**: 16 August 2021
- **predecessor9**: Ken'ichi Yamada
- **successor9**: Tsuneo Kitamura
- **birth place**: Shimonoseki, Japan
- **parents**: Yoshiro Hayashi (politician), Yoshiro Hayashi (father)
Mariko Hayashi (mother)
- **party**: Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), Liberal Democratic
- **alma mater**: University of Tokyo (Bachelor of Laws, LLB)
 Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University (Master of Public Administration, MPA)
- **relatives**: :ja:林玲子 (人口学者), Reiko Hayashi (sister)
:ja:林佳介, Keisuke Hayashi (paternal grandfather)
:ja:林平四郎, Heishiro Hayashi (great-great-grandfather)
Katsusada Hirose (uncle-in-law)
- **spouse**: Yuko Hayashi
- **children**: 2
- **signature**: Yoshimasa Hayashi signature.svg