Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Imperial Japan/Nippon/ Nihon Koku (Female suffrage 1945/8)

See also Japan Parliament and Japan Heads

1948-54 Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Tsuruyo Kondo
1962-63 Minister of State, Director General of The Science and Technology Agency
She lived (1901-70).

1948 Vice-Minister of Justice Aiko Noda

1960 Minister of Health and Social Welfare Masa Nakayama

1981-83 Minister of State for Science and Technology Chikage Ogi
2000 Minister of Construction and Minister of State and Director General of the National Land Agency 
2000-03 Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
She has formerly been Vice-Minister in the Directorate General of Science and Technology. Chairperson of the New Conservative Party (Hoshushinto) 2000-03. The party, which broke away from LDP in 1994 rejoined the governing party in 2003. President of the House of Councillors 2004-07, when she retired from politics. (b. 1933-).

1982-83/86 Parliamentary Deputy Director General of The Science and Technology Agency Hiroko Hayashi
(b. 1933-).

1982-83/86 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Post and Telecommunication Toyohiko Mizuhira

1984-85 Minister of State, Director General of Environment Shige Ishimoto

1984-85 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Mayumi Moriyama
1989 Minister of State, Director General of Environment
1989-90 Minister of State, First Cabinet Secretary and Government Spokeswoman
1992-93 Minister of Education, Science, Sport and Culture
2001-03 Minister of Justice (third in cabinet)
Formerly Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Director General of the Ministry of Labour, 1997-98 she was Deputy Chairman of the General Council of the Liberal-Democratic Party and in 2000 it's acting Chairman. (b. 1928-).

1988-89 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Environment Michiko Ishii
1996-97 Minister of State and Director General of Environment and Science
She was the first female Deputy Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party Diet Affairs Committee (Deputy Parliamentary Leader). (b. 1933-).

1989-90 Minister of State, Director General of the Economic Planning Agency Sumiko Takahara
Ambassador to Sweden, Finland and Estonia since 1997. (b. 1934-).

1989 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Environment Akiko Santo
1990-91 Minister of State of Science and Technology
Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives in 1989. Vice-President of the House of Councillors from 2007. (b 1945-).

Circa 1989 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Environment Yoshiko Ootaka

1993-94 Minister of State, Director General of Economic Planning Agency Manae Kubota

1993-94 Minister of Education Ryoko Aakamatsu
Ambassador to Venezuela and Urugay 1986-89.

1993-94 Minister of State, Director General of Environment Agency Wakako Hironaka

1994 Minister of Environment Toshiko Hamayotsu
Deputy Leader of the New Komeito Party 1998-2004 and Acting Leader 2004.

1994-95 Minister of State, Director General of Economic Planning Agency Mashiko Komura
Former Shadow Foreign Minister of the Socialists.

1994-95 Minister of State, Director General of Science and Technology Agency 
2001-02 Minister of Foreign Affairs
2012- Minister of Education, Culture, Science, Sports, and Technology Makiko Tanaka
LDP MP 1993-2002, Independent MP 2002-09 and MP for the Democratic Party from 2009. Daughter of the late Premier Tanaka Kakuei. (1944-).

1994-95 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Transport Shizuka Kamei

1995-96 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Environment Yasu Kano
Circa 2002-05 Senior Vice-Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare

1995-96 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Labour Chieko Nono
2001 Senior Vice Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
2004-05 Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Measures for Declining Birthrate
Nohno Chieko was member of the House of Councillors from 1992. (b. 1935-).

1996 Minister of Justice Ritsuko Nagao
Daughter of a former Prime Minister.  

1996 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Economic Planning Agency Sumiko Shimizu

1996-98 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Education Kiyoko Kusakabe

1996-98 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Post and Telecommunication Seiko Noda
1998-99 Minister of Post and Telecommunication
2008-09 Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy and Minister of State of Food Safety and Consumer Affairs
Chairperson of the General Council of the Liberal Democrat Party. She had her first child in 2010. (b. 1961-).

1997- Administrative Vice-Minister of Labour Nobuko Matsubara
First female on the post though there had been two women on similar posts in the Department of Culture.

1999-2000 Minister of Environment Kayoko Shimizu
Former civil servant who entered politics as Member of House of Councillors in 1989. (b. 1936-).

1999-2000 Parliamentary Vice-Minister of International Trade and Industry N.N.

2000-01 Minister of State and Director-General of the Environment Agency Yoriko Kawaguchi
2001-02 Minister of Environment and Global Environmental Affairs
2002-04 Minister of Foreign Affairs
Former Minister-Councillor in the Embassy in Washington, government Bureaucrat and leader of a private company prior to her appointment to the government. From 2004 Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister. (b. 1941-).

2001-03 Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Atsuko Toyama
Director-General of the Culture Agency 1994-96, Ambassador to Turkey 1996-2000 and Director-General of the National Museum of Western Art from 2000. (b. 1938).

2001-05 Parliamentary Secretary of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yasuko Ikenobo
Former Ambassador for Disarmament.

2001-02 Parliamentary Secretary of Economy, Trade and Industry Akira Matsu (Reiko Nishikawa)

2002-03 Senior Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Sanae Takaichi
2006-07 Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, Minister of State for Innovation, Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs and Minister of State for Food Safety
2008-09 Senior Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
2004- Minister of Internal Affairs and Communication
MP from 1993. (b. 1961-).

2002-05 Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Shinako Tsuchiya
2006-07 Senior Vice Minister of the Environment
MP from 1996 and LDP Policy Chief 2012. (b. 1952-).

2003-04 Chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission Kiyoko Ono
In charge of the Japanese police, which comprises of the National Police Agency and 47 prefectural police headquarters.

2003-06 Minister of Environment Yuriko Koike
2004-06 Minister of State in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories
2005-06 Minister of State of Global Environment Issues
2007 Minister of Defence
National Defence Advisor of the Prime Minister 2006-07, Candidate for the selection of a new party leader (and Prime Minister) of the Liberal Democratic Party in September 2008 and Governor of Tokyo from 2016. (b. 1952-).

2005-06 Minister of State of Population and Gender Equality Kuniko Inoguchi
Professor in Political Science, Ambassador to the U.N. Conference on Disarmament 2002-04, Member of the House of Representives. (b. 1952-).

2005-06 Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet Secretariat Office
2014- Chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission, Minister in charge of the Abduction Issue and State Minister for Disaster Management Eriko Yamatani
MP from 2000. (b. 1950-).

2005-06 Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Akiko Yamanaka
MP from 1996. (b. 1945-).

2005-06 Parliamentary Secretary of Internal Affairs and Communication Noriko Furuya
MP from 2003. (b. 1945).

2005-07 Parliamentary Secretary for Internal Affairs and Communications Yoko Kamikawa
2007-08 Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs
2008 Minister of Public Records Management and National Archives
2010-11 Senior Vice-Minister of Health
2011-12 Minister of Health, Labour and Social Welfare
2012 Minister of State for Measures for the Declining Birth Rate
2014 Senior Vice-Minister of Finance
2014- Minister of Justice
LDP MP from 2000. (b. 1953-).

2005-06 Parliamentary Secretary of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Haruko Arimura
2014- Minister in charge of Female Empowerment, Administrative Reform and State Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and the Declining Birthrate
Member of the House of Councillors from 2001. (b. 1970-).

2005-06 Parliamentary Secretary of Health, Labour and Welfare Kyoko Nishikawa
2007-08 Senior Vice-Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
Member of the House of Representatives. (b. 1945-).

2005-06 Parliamentary Secretary of Economy, Trade and Industry Satsuki Katayama
2012- Parliamentary Secretary of Internal Affairs and Communications
MP from 2005. (b. 1959-).

2006-08 Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Hiroko Ota
Director-General for Policy Planning in the Cabinet Office 2002-04 and Professor of Economy. (b. 1954-).

2006-08 Senior Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yasuko Ikenobou

2006-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Cabinet Office Nobuko Okashita
MP 2000-03 and from 2005. (b. 1939-).

2006-07 Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Midori Matsushima
2007-08 Senior Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
2014 Minister of Justice
MP from 2000. (b. 1956-).

2006-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yuko Obuchi
2008 Minister of State for Social Affairs and Gender Equality
2012 Senior Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
2012-14 Senior Vice Minister of Health
2014 Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and State Minister for Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation
MP from 2005. Daughter of the late Prime Minister Obuchi Keizo. In 2014 she resigned after a few months in office because of misuse of public funds. Had her first child in 2007. (b. 1973-).

2006-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Keiko Nagaoka
Member of the House of Councillors after her husband, Yoji Nagaoka, committed suicide in 2005. (b. 1959-).

2006-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Economy, Trade and Industry Michiyo Takagi
Member of the House of Representatives from 2003. (b. 1959-).

2007-08 Parliamentary Secretary of Economy, Trade and Industry Kanae Yamamoto
Member of the House of Councillors from 2001. (b. 1971-).

2008 Minister of State of Social Affairs and Gender Equality Kyoko Nakayama
Ambassador to Uzbekistan 1999-2002, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister (for the Abduction Issue) 2006-08 and Member of the House of Councillors from 2007. (b. 1940-).

2008-09 Parliamentary Secretary of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Tomoko Ukishima
Member of the House of Councillors for the New Komeito Party from 2004. (b. 1964-).

2008-09 Senior Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Seiko Hashimoto
Former ice speed skater and track cycling sprinter who contested in the Winter Olympics of 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996 and the Summer Olympics of 1988, 1992 and 1996, member of the House of Councillors (b. 1964-).

2009-10 Minister of Justice Keiko Chiba
Member of the Upper House for the Democratic Party since 1984. (b. 1948-).

2009-10 Minister of State of Consumer Affairs, Food Safety, Social Affairs and Gender Equality Mizuho Fukushima
Chairperson of the Social Democratic Party since 2003. The other leader of a small party in the government coalition also held the position of Ministers of State. In 2010 her party left the coalition.

2009-11 Senior Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Kiyomi Tsujimoto

2009-11 Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Chinami Nishimura
2012 Senior Vice Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare

2009-11 Parliamentary Secretary of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Miho Takai
2012 Senior Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

2009-11 Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yasue Funyama

2009-11 Parliamentary Secretary of Economy, Trade and Industry Chiaki Takahashi

2010-12 Minister of State of Administrative Reform Renho
Normally only know by her first name Murata Renhō has been a Democratic Member of the Upper House from 2004. (b. 1967-)

2010-11 Chairperson of the National Commission on Public Safety, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety and Minister of State for Social Affairs, and Gender Equality Tomiko Okazaki 
Social Democratic MP 1990-96 and Member of the House of Councillors since 1997 later as member of the Democratic Party. (b. 1944-).

2011-12 Senior Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yuko Mori

2011-12 Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet Office Kazuko Koori
2012 Parliamentary Secretary for Reconstruction

2011-12 Parliamentary Secretary of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Mieko Kamimoto

2011-12 Parliamentary Secretary of Health, Labour and Welfare Kazue Fujita

2011-12 Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Hiroko Nakano

2012 Senior Vice Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Chinami Nishimura

2012 Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet Office and for Reconstruction Emi Kaneko

2012-14 Minister in charge of Administrative Reform, Civil Service Reform, "Cool Japan" Strategy and the "Challenge Again" Initiative and Minister of State for Regulatory Reform
2016- Minister of Defence Tomomi Inada
LDP member of the Lower House and LDP Policy Chief 2014-16. (b. 1959-)

2012-14 Minister in charge of Support for Women's Empowerment and Child-Bearing, Minister of State for Measures for Declining Birthrate, Minister of State for Gender Equality and Minister and Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety Masako Mori
Candidate for the post of Governor of the Fukushima Prefecture in 2006 and LDP Member of the House of Councillors from 2007. (b. 1964-)

2012-14 Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet Office and Parliamentary Secretary for Reconstruction Aiko Shimajiri

2012-14 Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Toshiko Abe

2012-14 Parliamentary Secretary of Health, Labour and Welfare Naomi Tokashiki

2012-14 Parliamentary Secretary of Health, Labour and Welfare Tamayo Marukawa

2014- Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Finance Toshiko Takey6a

2014- Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Emiko Takagai

2014- Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Environment Hinako Takahashi

2015-16 Minister of Environment Tamayo Marukawa
2016- Minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games

Last update 04.08.16