Speaker of the House of Representatives (Japan)

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Speaker of the House of Representatives
衆議院議長
Go-shichi no kiri crest 2.svg
Emblem of the Government of Japan
Hiroyuki Hosoda in New Delhi on 23 September 2016.jpg
Incumbent
Hiroyuki Hosoda
since 10 November 2021
House of Representatives
StyleMr. Speaker (informal)
The Honourable (formal)
ResidenceThe Speaker’s Official Residence (not in use)
AppointerThe House
Term lengthFour years; renewable only if there is a dissolution
Constituting instrumentConstitution of Japan
FormationNovember 29, 1890; 131 years ago (1890-11-29)
DeputyVice Speaker of the House of Representatives

The Speaker of the House of Representatives (衆議院議長, Shūgiin-gichō) is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives of Japan, and together with the , the Speaker is also the head of the legislative branch of Japan. The Speaker is elected by members of the House at the start of each session, and can serve for a maximum of four years.

The current Speaker of the House of Representatives is Hiroyuki Hosoda, who took office on 10 November 2021.

Selection[]

Nancy Pelosi Speaker Tadamori Ōshima at the G7 Brest Parlement

The election of the Speaker takes place on the day of the new session, under the moderation of the Secretary-General of the House.[1] The Speaker is elected by an anonymous vote, and must have at least half of the votes in order to take office. If no one gets over half of the votes, the top two candidates will be voted again, and if they get the same number of votes, the Speaker is elected by a lottery. The Vice Speaker is elected separately, in the same way.[1]

Usually, the Speaker is a senior member of the ruling party, and the Vice Speaker is a senior member of the opposition party. The current Speaker, Tadamori Ōshima, is a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, while the Vice Speaker, Hirotaka Akamatsu, is a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

Powers and Duties[]

The official residence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives

According to Chapter III Article 19 of the Diet Law, the Speaker "shall maintain order in the House, arrange its business, supervise its administration, and represent the House".[1]

The Speaker is also authorized to maintain order in the House chambers by exercising police power. Upon the Speaker's request, police personnel are sent by the National Police Agency, and are placed under the Speaker's direction.[1] The Speaker may then order arrest or removal of a member of the House or a visitor.

According to Chapter XIV Chapter 116 of the Diet law, when a member of the House of Representatives acts in a disorderly manner, the Speaker can warn them or make them withdraw their statements. If the member does not obey these orders, the Speaker can forbid the member to speak or make the member leave the chamber until the end of the proceedings. If the chamber goes out of control and becomes over chaotic, the Speaker may also temporarily suspend or adjourn the sitting for the day.[1]

List of Speakers[]

Main article: List of speakers of the House of Representatives (Japan)
# Name Party Entered office Left office
(+reason if not end of term)
Empire of Japan
1 Nobuyuki Nakajima Rikken Jiyūtō November 26, 1890 December 25, 1891 (dissolution)
2 Tōru Hoshi Jiyūtō May 3, 1892 December 13, 1893 (expulsion)
3 Masataka Kusumoto Dōmei Club December 15, 1893 December 30, 1893 (dissolution)
4 Masataka Kusumoto Rikken Kakushintō May 12, 1894 June 2, 1894 (dissolution)
5 Masataka Kusumoto Rikken Kakushintō October 15, 1894 June 8, 1896 (resignation)
6 Kazuo Hatoyama Shinpotō December 22, 1896 December 25, 1897 (dissolution)
7 Rikken Seiyūkai May 15, 1898 June 10, 1898 (dissolution)
8 Kenkichi Kataoka Rikken Seiyūkai November 9, 1898 December 7, 1902
9 Kenkichi Kataoka Rikken Seiyūkai December 7, 1902 December 28, 1902 (dissolution)
10 Kenkichi Kataoka Rikken Seiyūkai May 9, 1903 October 31, 1903 (death)
11 Kenseitō December 5, 1903 December 11, 1903 (dissolution)
12 Rikken Seiyūkai March 18, 1904 January 19, 1906 (resignation)
13 Rikken Seiyūkai January 23, 1906 December 23, 1908
14 Rikken Seiyūkai December 23, 1908 September 6, 1911 (resignation)
15 Rikken Seiyūkai December 24, 1911 August 21, 1912
16 Ikuzō Ōoka Rikken Seiyūkai August 21, 1912 March 6, 1914 (resignation)
17 Sumitaka Haseba Rikken Seiyūkai March 7, 1914 March 15, 1914 (death)
18 Rikken Seiyūkai March 17, 1914 December 25, 1914 (dissolution)
19 Rikken Dōshikai May 17, 1915 January 25, 1917 (dissolution)
20 Ikuzō Ōoka Rikken Seiyūkai June 21, 1917 February 26, 1920 (dissolution)
21 Shigesaburō Oku Rikken Seiyūkai June 26, 1920 February 16, 1923 (resignation)
22 Rikken Seiyūkai February 17, 1923 January 31, 1924 (dissolution)
23 Gizō Kasuya Rikken Seiyūkai → Ind. June 26, 1924 March 25, 1927 (resignation)
24 Kenseikai March 26, 1927 January 21, 1928 (dissolution)
25 Rikken Seiyūkai April 20, 1928 March 14, 1929 (resignation)
26 Rikken Seiyūkai March 15, 1929 May 15, 1929 (death)
27 Rikken Seiyūkai December 26, 1929 January 21, 1930 (dissolution)
28 Rikken Minseitō April 23, 1930 April 13, 1931 (resignation)
29 Rikken Minseitō December 26, 1931 January 21, 1932 (dissolution)
30 Kiyoshi Akita Rikken Seiyūkai March 18, 1932 December 13, 1932 (resignation)
31 Rikken Seiyūkai December 24, 1934 January 21, 1936 (dissolution)
32 Rikken Minseitō May 1, 1936 March 31, 1937 (dissolution)
33 Rikken Minseitō → Yokusan Giin Dōmei July 23, 1937 December 22, 1941 (resignation)
34 Yokusan Giin Dōmei → Yokusan Seijikai December 24, 1941 May 25, 1942
35 Tadahiko Okada Yokusan Seijikai May 25, 1942 April 9, 1945 (resignation)
36 Toshio Shimada → June 8, 1945 December 18, 1945 (dissolution)
37 JLP May 22, 1946 August 23, 1946 (resignation)
38 JLP → Ind. August 23, 1946 March 31, 1947 (dissolution)
Present Day Japan
39 Komakichi Matsuoka JSP → JSP (right wing) May 21, 1947 December 23, 1948 (dissolution)
40 Kijūrō Shidehara LP February 11, 1949 March 10, 1951 (death)
41 LP March 13, 1951 August 1, 1952 (resignation)
42 LP August 26, 1952 August 28, 1952 (dissolution)
43 Banboku Ōno LP October 24, 1952 March 14, 1953 (dissolution)
44 Yasujirō Tsutsumi PP May 18, 1953 December 10, 1954 (resignation)
45 JDP December 11, 1954 January 24, 1955 (dissolution)
46 LDP March 18, 1955 April 25, 1958 (dissolution)
47 LDP June 11, 1958 December 13, 1958 (resignation)
48 LDP December 13, 1958 February 1, 1960 (resignation)
49 LDP February 1, 1960 October 24, 1960 (dissolution)
50 Ichirō Kiyose LDP December 7, 1960 October 23, 1963 (dissolution)
51 LDP December 7, 1963 December 20, 1965 (resignation)
52 LDP December 20, 1965 December 3, 1966 (resignation)
53 LDP December 3, 1966 December 27, 1966 (dissolution)
54 LDP February 15, 1967 July 16, 1969 (resignation)
55 LDP December 3, 1969 December 27, 1969 (dissolution)
56 Naka Funada LDP January 14, 1970 November 13, 1972 (dissolution)
57 LDP December 22, 1972 May 29, 1973 (resignation)
58 Shigesaburō Maeo LDP May 29, 1973 December 9, 1976
59 Shigeru Hori LDP December 24, 1976 February 1, 1979 (resignation)
60 Hirokichi Nadao LDP February 1, 1979 September 7, 1979 (dissolution)
61 Hirokichi Nadao LDP October 30, 1979 May 19, 1980 (dissolution)
62 LDP July 17, 1980 November 28, 1983 (dissolution)
63 Kenji Fukunaga LDP December 26, 1983 January 24, 1985 (resignation)
64 Michita Sakata LDP January 24, 1985 June 2, 1986 (dissolution)
65 LDP July 22, 1986 June 2, 1989 (resignation)
66 Hajime Tamura LDP June 2, 1989 January 24, 1990 (dissolution)
67 Yoshio Sakurauchi LDP February 27, 1990 June 18, 1993 (dissolution)
68 Takako Doi JSP August 6, 1993 September 27, 1996 (dissolution)
69 Sōichirō Itō LDP November 7, 1996 June 2, 2000 (dissolution)
70 Tamisuke Watanuki LDP July 4, 2000 October 10, 2003 (dissolution)
71 Yōhei Kōno LDP November 19, 2003 August 8, 2005 (dissolution)
72 Yōhei Kōno LDP September 21, 2005 July 21, 2009 (dissolution)
73 Takahiro Yokomichi DPJ September 16, 2009 November 16, 2012 (dissolution)
74 Bunmei Ibuki LDP December 26, 2012 November 21, 2014 (dissolution)
75 Nobutaka Machimura LDP December 24, 2014 April 21, 2015 (resignation)
76 Tadamori Ōshima LDP April 21, 2015 September 28, 2017 (dissolution)
77 Tadamori Ōshima LDP November 1, 2017 October 14, 2021 (dissolution)
77 Hiroyuki Hosoda LDP November 10, 2021 Incumbent

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Diet Law of the Constitution of Japan".
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