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| Minister of Defense | |
|---|---|
| 防衛大臣 | |
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| Ministry of Defense | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Member of | Cabinet National Security Council Defense Council |
| Reports to | The Prime Minister |
| Appointer | The Prime Minister subject to formal attestation by the Emperor |
| Precursor | Director General of the Defense Agency |
| Formation | 9 January 2007 |
| First holder | Fumio Kyuma |
| Deputy | State Minister of Defense |
| Salary | ¥20,916,000 |
The Minister of Defense (防衛大臣, Bōei Daijin), or Bōei-shō (防衛相), is a member of the Japanese cabinet and is the leader of the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the executive department of the Japanese Armed Forces. The minister of defense’s position of command and authority over the military is second only to that of the Prime Minister of Japan, who is the commander-in-chief.
The minister of defense is appointed by the Prime Minister and is a member of the National Security Council. The current Minister of Defense is Gen Nakatani, who took office on October 1, 2024.