Leader of the Opposition (Japan)

The  is the leader of the largest opposing party to the Japanese government. The role is not an official office.

Leaders of the Opposition of the State of Japan (1947–present)

Leaders of the Opposition during the Shōwa period (1947–1989)
 Under the Shōwa Emperor
No.
 (Terms)  Opposition Leader Term of office Political Party Portrait Name Took Office Left Office Days 1 80px Shigeru Yoshida吉田 茂 24 May 1947 15 October 1948  Liberal Party 2 80px Tetsu Katayama片山 哲 15 October 1948 16 January 1950  Socialist Party 3 80px  Inejirō Asanuma浅沼 稲次郎 16 January 1950 19 January 1951  Socialist Party 4
(1) 80px  Mosaburō Suzuki鈴木 茂三郎 19 January 1951 18 January 1953  Socialist Party 5
(1) 80px  Jōtarō Kawakami河上 丈太郎 18 January 1953 27 February 1955  Rightist Socialist Party 4
(2-3) 80px Mosaburō Suzuki鈴木 茂三郎 27 February 1955 13 October 1955  Leftist Socialist Party  13 October 1955 23 March 1960  Socialist Party 3
(2) 80px Inejirō Asanuma浅沼 稲次郎 23 March 1960 12 October 1960  Socialist Party 6 80px Saburō Eda江田 三郎 12 October 1960 6 March 1961  Socialist Party 5
(2) 80px Jōtarō Kawakami河上 丈太郎 6 March 1961 6 May 1965  Socialist Party 7 80px Kouzou Sasaki佐々木 更三 6 May 1965 19 August 1967  Socialist Party 8  Seiichi Katsumata勝間田 清一 19 August 1967 4 October 1968  Socialist Party 9  Tomomi Narita成田 知巳 4 October 1968 26 September 1977  Socialist Party 10  Ichio Asukata飛鳥田 一雄 26 September 1977 7 September 1983  Socialist Party 11  Masashi Ishibashi石橋 政嗣 7 September 1983 8 September 1986  Socialist Party 12(1) 80px Takako Doi土井 たか子 8 September 1986 7 January 1989  Socialist Party

Leaders of the Opposition during the Heisei period (1989–2019)
 Under Emperor Akihito
No.
 (Terms)  Opposition Leader Term of office Political Party Portrait Name Took Office Left Office Days 12
(2) 80px Takako Doi土井 たか子 8 January 1989 31 July 1991  Socialist Party 13  Makoto Tanabe田邊 誠 31 July 1991 19 January 1993  Socialist Party 14  Sadao Yamahana山花 貞夫 19 January 1993 9 August 1993  Socialist Party 15 80px Yōhei Kōno河野 洋平 9 August 1993 30 June 1994  Liberal Democratic Party  16 80px Toshiki Kaifu海部 俊樹Kaifu Toshiki(b. 1931) 30 June 1994 28 December 1995  New Frontier Party  17(1) 80px Ichirō Ozawa小沢 一郎 28 December 1995 31 December 1997  New Frontier Party 18(1) 80px Naoto Kan菅 直人 31 December 1997 25 September 1999  Democratic Party (1996–1998)→Democratic Party (1998–2016)   19(1) 80px Yukio Hatoyama鳩山 由紀夫 25 September 1999 10 December 2002  Democratic Party (1998–2016)  18(2) 80px Naoto Kan菅 直人 10 December 2002 18 May 2004  Democratic Party (1998–2016)  20(1) 80px Katsuya Okada岡田 克也 18 May 2004 17 September 2005  Democratic Party (1998–2016)  21(1) 80px Seiji Maehara前原 誠司 17 September 2005 7 April 2006  Democratic Party (1998–2016)  17(2) 80px Ichirō Ozawa小沢 一郎 7 April 2006 16 May 2009  Democratic Party (1998–2016)  19(2) 80px Yukio Hatoyama鳩山 由紀夫 16 May 2009 16 September 2009  Democratic Party (1998–2016)  - 80px Masatoshi Wakabayashi若林 正俊 (Acting) 16 September 2009 28 September 2009  Liberal Democratic Party  22 80px Sadakazu Tanigaki谷垣 禎一 28 September 2009 26 September 2012  Liberal Democratic Party  23 80px Shinzō Abe安倍 晋三 26 September 2012 26 December 2012  Liberal Democratic Party  24 80px Banri Kaieda海江田 万里 26 December 2012 14 December 2014  Democratic Party (1998–2016) 20(2) 80px Katsuya Okada岡田 克也 14 December 2014 1 October 2016   Democratic Party (1998–2016)→Democratic Party (2016–2018)   25 80px Renhō村田 蓮舫 1 October 2016 27 July 2017  Democratic Party (2016–2018)  21 (2) 80px Seiji Maehara前原 誠司 1 September 2017 23 October 2017  Democratic Party (2016–2018)  26 80px Yukio Edano枝野 幸男 23 October 2017 30 April 2019  Constitutional Democratic Party (2017-2020)

Leaders of the Opposition during the Reiwa period (2019–present)
 Under Emperor Naruhito
No.
 (Terms)  Opposition Leader Term of office Political Party Portrait Name Took Office Left Office Days  26 80px Yukio Edano枝野 幸男 1 May 2019 30 November 2021  Constitutional Democratic Party (2017-2020)→Constitutional Democratic Party  27 80px Kenta Izumi泉 健太 30 November 2021 23 September 2024  Constitutional Democratic Party  28 80px Yoshihiko Noda野田 佳彦 23 September 2024 Incumbent  Constitutional Democratic Party