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Ministries of Japan

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Naruhito

Fumihito

Executive

Shigeru Ishiba (LDP)

Ishiba Cabinet
(LDP-Komeito coalition)
Legislature

Fukushiro Nukaga

  • Vice Speaker

Banri Kaieda

Hidehisa Otsuji

  • Vice President

Hiroyuki Nagahama
Judiciary

Saburo Tokura

Bank of Japan
  • Governor

Kazuo Ueda

Elections


Japanese general elections


Japanese House of Councillors elections


Unified local elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
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The Ministries of Japan (中央ちゅうおう省庁しょうちょう, Chūō shōchō, Central ministries and agencies) or Government Agencies of Japan (行政ぎょうせい機関きかん, Gyōsei kikan, Public administration organizations) are the most influential part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Each ministry is headed by a Minister of State appointed by the Prime Minister. In postwar politics, the posts of ministers have been given to senior legislators, mostly of the LDP. However, few ministers serve for more than one or two years to develop the necessary grasp of the organisation to become really influential. Thus, most of the power lies within the ministries, with the senior bureaucrats.

The current 15 Cabinet-level ministries of the Government of Japan include:

  • the Cabinet Office (内閣ないかく府ふ, Naikaku-fu)
  • 1 Cabinet-level commission (委員いいん会かい, īnkai)
  • 2 Cabinet-level agencies (官庁かんちょう, kanchō)
  • 11 ministries (省はぶけ, shō)

The Board of Audit of Japan is responsible for ensuring the adequacy of the Government's financial management by continuously auditing and supervising government activities, and verifying expenditures and revenues of the state.[1]

List of ministries

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Main article: Government of Japan § Ministries

Ministries in the Empire of Japan

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Pre-2001 Central Government Reform

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  • Prime Minister's Office (総理府そうりふ, Sōri fu)
    • National Public Safety Commission (国家こっか公安こうあん委員いいん会かい, Kokka kōan iinkai)
    • Financial Reconstruction Commission (金融きんゆう再生さいせい委員いいん会かい, Kin-yū saisei iinkai)
    • Management and Coordination Agency (総務庁そうむちょう, Sōmu chō)
    • Hokkaido Development Agency (北海道開発庁ほっかいどうかいはつちょう, Hokkaidō kaihatsu chō)
    • Defense Agency (防衛庁ぼうえいちょう, Bōei chō)
    • Economic Planning Agency (経済企画庁けいざいきかくちょう, Keizai kikaku chō)
    • Science and Technology Agency (科学技術庁かがくぎじゅつちょう, Kagaku gijutsu chō)
    • Environment Agency (環境庁かんきょうちょう, Kankyō chō)
    • Okinawa Development Agency (沖縄開発庁おきなわかいはつちょう, Okinawa kaihatsu chō)
    • National Land Agency (国土庁こくどちょう, Kokudo chō)
  • Ministry of Justice (法務省ほうむしょう, Hōmu shō)
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外務省がいむしょう, Gaimu shō)
  • Ministry of Finance (大蔵省おおくらしょう, Ōkura shō)
  • Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (文部省もんぶしょう, Monbu shō)
  • Ministry of Health and Welfare (厚生省こうせいしょう, Kōsei shō)
  • Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (農林水産省のうりんすいさんしょう, Nōrin suisan shō)
  • Ministry of International Trade and Industry (通商産業省つうしょうさんぎょうしょう, Tsūshō sangyō shō)
  • Ministry of Transport (運輸省うんゆしょう, Un-yu shō)
  • Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (郵政省ゆうせいしょう, Yūsei shō)
  • Ministry of Labour (労働省ろうどうしょう, Rōdō shō)
  • Ministry of Construction (建設省けんせつしょう, Kensetsu shō)
  • Ministry of Home Affairs (自治省じちしょう, Jichi shō)

Post-2001 Central Government Reform

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As a result of the reforms in 2001, many ministries were reformed.

  • The Financial Reconstruction Commission was abolished.
  • Prime Minister's Office + Economic Planning Agency + Okinawa Development Agency = Cabinet Office
  • Management and Coordination Agency + Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications + Ministry of Home Affairs = Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications
  • Science and Technology Agency + Ministry of Education, Science and Culture = Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
  • Ministry of Health and Welfare + Ministry of Labour = Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
  • The Ministry of International Trade and Industry changed its name into "Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry".
  • Hokkaido Development Agency + National Land Agency + Ministry of Transport + Ministry of Construction = Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
  • The Environment Agency was reorganized into "Ministry of the Environment".

As of April 2023

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Several other smaller reforms were also made after the larger central government reforms were implemented in 2001.

  • In 2004, the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, changed its English name into "Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications" (Japanese name was not changed).
  • In 2007, the Defense Agency was reorganized into "Ministry of Defense".
  • In 2008, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, changed its English name into "Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism" (Japanese name was not changed).
  • In 2012, the Reconstruction Agency was established in the aim of recovery from 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
  • In 2021, the Digital Agency was established in the aim to promote e-government and digital transformation.
  • In 2023, the Children and Families Agency was established.

List of ministers of state

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References

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  1. ^ "Aims of the Audit｜Audit Activities｜Board of Audit of Japan". jbaudit.go.jp. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
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