Leader of the Opposition (Japan)

Leader of the Opposition of Japan
Incumbent
Katsuya Okada

since 14 December 2014
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The Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest opposing party to the government.

Role and duties

The role of Leader of the Opposition 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)

Opposition Leader Term of office Political Party
Portrait Name Took Office Left Office Days
Shigeru Yoshida
吉田 茂
Yoshida Shigeru
(1878-1967)
24 May 1947 15 October 1948 510 Liberal Party
Tetsu Katayama
片山 哲
Katayama Tetsu
(1887-1978)
15 October 1948 16 January 1950 458 Socialist Party
Inejirō Asanuma
浅沼 稲次郎
Asanuma Inejirō
(1898-1960)
16 January 1950 19 January 1951 368 Socialist Party
Mosaburō Suzuki
鈴木 茂三郎
Suzuki Mosaburō
(1893-1970)
19 January 1951 18 January 1953 730 Socialist Party
Jōtarō Kawakami
河上 丈太郎
Kawakami Jōtarō
(1889-1965)
18 January 1953 27 February 1955 770 Rightist Socialist Party
Mosaburō Suzuki
鈴木 茂三郎
Suzuki Mosaburō
(1893-1970)
27 February 1955 13 October 1955 228 Leftist Socialist Party
13 October 1955 23 March 1960 1623 Socialist Party
Inejirō Asanuma
浅沼 稲次郎
Asanuma Inejirō
(1898-1960)
23 March 1960 12 October 1960 203 Socialist Party
Saburō Eda
江田 三郎
Eda Saburō
(1907-1977)
12 October 1960 6 March 1961 145 Socialist Party
Jōtarō Kawakami
河上 丈太郎
Kawakami Jōtarō
(1889-1965)
6 March 1961 6 May 1965 1522 Socialist Party
Kouzou Sasaki
佐々木 更三
Sasaki Kouzou
(1900-1985)
6 May 1965 19 August 1967 835 Socialist Party
Seiichi Katsumata
勝間田 清一
Katsumata Seiichi
(1908-1989)
19 August 1967 4 October 1968 412 Socialist Party
Tomomi Narita
成田 知巳
Narita Tomomi
(1912-1979)
4 October 1968 26 September 1977 3279 Socialist Party
Ichio Asukata
飛鳥田 一雄
Asukata Ichio
(1915-1990)
26 September 1977 7 September 1983 2172 Socialist Party
Masashi Ishibashi
石橋 政嗣
Ishibashi Masashi
(b. 1924)
7 September 1983 8 September 1983 1 Socialist Party
Takako Doi
土井 たか子
Doi Takako
(1928-2014)
8 September 1983 7 January 1989 1948 Socialist Party

Leaders of the Opposition during the Heisei period (1989–present)

Opposition Leader Term of office Political Party
Portrait Name Took Office Left Office Days
Takako Doi
土井 たか子
Doi Takako
(1928-2014)
7 January 1989 31 July 1991 3127 Socialist Party
Tanabe Makoto
田邊 誠
Makoto Tanabe
(b. 1922)
31 July 1991 19 January 1993 538 Socialist Party
Sadao Yamahana
山花 貞夫
Yamahana Sadao
(1936-1999)
19 January 1993 9 August 1993 202 Socialist Party
Yōhei Kōno
河野 洋平
Kōno Yōhei
(b. 1937)
9 August 1993 11 January 1996 885 Liberal Democratic Party
Ichirō Ozawa
小沢 一郎
Ozawa Ichirō
(b. 1942)
11 January 1996 31 December 1997 720 New Frontier Party
Naoto Kan
菅 直人
Kan Naoto
(b. 1946)
31 December 1997 27 April 1998 117 Democratic Party
27 April 1998 25 September 1999 516 Democratic Party of Japan
Yukio Hatoyama
鳩山 由紀夫
Hatoyama Yukio
(b. 1947)
25 September 1999 10 December 2002 1172 Democratic Party
Naoto Kan
菅 直人
Kan Naoto
(b. 1946)
10 December 2002 18 May 2004 525 Democratic Party
Katsuya Okada
岡田 克也
Okada Katsuya
(b. 1953)
18 May 2004 17 September 2005 487 Democratic Party
Seiji Maehara
前原 誠司
Maehara Seiji
(b. 1962)
17 September 2005 7 April 2006 202 Democratic Party
Ichirō Ozawa
小沢 一郎
Ozawa Ichirō
(b. 1942)
7 April 2006 16 May 2009 1135 Democratic Party
Yukio Hatoyama
鳩山 由紀夫
Hatoyama Yukio
(b. 1947)
16 May 2009 16 September 2009 123 Democratic Party
Masatoshi Wakabayashi
若林 正俊
Wakabayashi Masatoshi
(b. 1934)
16 September 2009 28 September 2009 12 Liberal Democratic Party
Sadakazu Tanigaki
谷垣 禎一
Tanigaki Sadakazu
(b. 1945)
28 September 2009 26 September 2012 1094 Liberal Democratic Party
Shinzō Abe
安倍 晋三
Abe Shinzō
(b. 1954)
26 September 2012 26 December 2012 91 Liberal Democratic Party
Banri Kaieda
海江田 万里
Kaieda Banri
(b. 1949)
26 December 2012 14 December 2014 718 Democratic Party
Katsuya Okada
岡田 克也
Okada Katsuya
(b. 1953)
14 December 2014 Incumbent 135 Democratic Party

References