Speaker of the House of Representatives (Japan)

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 President of the House of Councillors, 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.

Speaker of the House of Representatives
衆議院議長 Shūgiin-gichō
Incumbent Fukushiro Nukaga since 11 November 2024
House of Representatives
Style	Mr. Speaker (informal) The Honourable (formal)
Residence	The Speaker’s Official Residence (not in use)
Appointer	The House
Term length	Four years; renewable only if there is a dissolution
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Japan
Formation	November 29, 1890; 134 years ago (1890-11-29)
Deputy	Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives (衆議院副議長 Shūgiin-fukugichō) Banri Kaieda (since 10 November 2021)

The current Speaker of the House of Representatives is Fukushiro Nukaga, who took office on 20 October 2023.

Selection

Nancy Pelosi with Former 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, Hiroyuki Hosoda, is a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, while the Vice Speaker, Banri Kaieda, 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

Speaker		Political party		Term start	Term end
Imperial Diet 1890–1947
	Nobuyuki Nakajima Rep for Kanagawa–5th (1846–1899)		Rikken Jiyūtō	November 26, 1890	December 25, 1891
	Hoshi Tōru Rep for Tochigi–1st (1850–1901)		Rikken Jiyūtō	May 3, 1892	December 13, 1893
	Kusumoto Masataka Rep for Tokyo–4th (1850–1901)		Dōmei Club	December 15, 1893	December 30, 1893
			Rikken Kakushintō	May 12, 1894	June 2, 1894
				October 15, 1894	June 8, 1896
	Kazuo Hatoyama Rep for Tokyo–9th (1856–1911)		Shimpotō	December 22, 1896	December 25, 1897
	Kenkichi Kataoka Rep for Kochi–2nd (1844–1903)		Rikken Seiyūkai	May 15, 1898	June 10, 1898
				November 9, 1898	December 28, 1902
				May 9, 1903	October 31, 1903
	Hironaka Kōno Rep for Fukushima (1849–1923)		Kenseitō	December 5, 1903	December 11, 1903
	Masahisa Matsuda Rep for Saga (1845–1914)		Rikken Seiyūkai	March 18, 1904	January 19, 1906
	Teiichi Sugita Rep for Fukui (1851–1929)		Rikken Seiyūkai	January 23, 1906	December 23, 1908
	Sumitaka Haseba Rep for Kagoshima (1854–1914)		Rikken Seiyūkai	December 23, 1908	September 6, 1911
	Ikuzō Ōoka Rep for Yamaguchi (1856–1928)		Rikken Seiyūkai	December 24, 1911	March 6, 1914
	Sumitaka Haseba Rep for Kagoshima (1854–1914)		Rikken Seiyūkai	March 7, 1914	March 15, 1914
	Shigesaburō Oku Rep for Kyoto (1861–1924)		Rikken Seiyūkai	March 17, 1914	December 25, 1914
	Saburō Shimada Rep for Yokohama (1852–1923)		Rikken Dōshikai	May 17, 1915	January 25, 1917
	Ikuzō Ōoka Rep for Yamaguchi (1856–1928)		Rikken Seiyūkai	June 21, 1917	February 26, 1920
	Shigesaburō Oku Rep for Kyoto–5th (1861–1924)		Rikken Seiyūkai	June 26, 1920	February 16, 1923
	Gizō Kasuya Rep for Saitama–2nd (1866–1930)		Rikken Seiyūkai	February 17, 1923	January 31, 1924
			Independent	June 26, 1924	March 25, 1927
	Shigeru Morita Rep for Kyoto–1st (1872–1932)		Kenseikai	March 26, 1927	January 21, 1928
	Hajime Motoda Rep for Oita–2nd (1858–1938)		Rikken Seiyūkai	April 20, 1928	March 14, 1929
	Mosuke Kawahara Rep for Saga–2nd (1859–1929)		Rikken Seiyūkai	March 15, 1929	May 15, 1929
	Zenbē Horikiri Rep for Fukushima–1st (1882–1946)		Rikken Seiyūkai	December 26, 1929	January 21, 1930
	Ikunosuke Fujisawa Rep for Miyagi–1st (1859–1940)		Rikken Minseitō	April 23, 1930	April 13, 1931
	Keijirō Nakamura Rep for Wakayama–1st (1867–1937)		Rikken Minseitō	December 26, 1931	January 21, 1932
	Kiyoshi Akita Rep for Tokushima–2nd (1881–1944)		Rikken Seiyūkai	March 18, 1932	December 13, 1932
	Kunimatsu Hamada Rep for Mie–2nd (1868–1939)		Rikken Seiyūkai	December 24, 1934	January 21, 1936
	Kōjirō Tomita Rep for Kochi–1st (1872–1938)		Rikken Minseitō	May 1, 1936	March 31, 1937
	Shōju Koyama Rep for Aichi–1st (1876–1959)		Rikken Minseitō	July 23, 1937	December 22, 1941
	Kazutami Tago Rep for Iwate–1st (1881–1963)		Taisei Yokusankai	December 24, 1941	May 25, 1942
	Tadahiko Okada Rep for Okayama–1st (1878–1958)		Taisei Yokusankai	May 25, 1942	April 9, 1945
	Toshio Shimada Rep for Shimane–2nd (1877–1947)		Taisei Yokusankai	June 8, 1945	December 18, 1945
	Senzō Higai Rep for Yamanashi (1890–1953)		Liberal	May 22, 1946	August 23, 1946
	Takeshi Yamazaki Rep for Ibaraki (1886–1957)		Liberal	May 22, 1946	August 23, 1946
National Diet 1947–present
	Komakichi Matsuoka Rep for Tokyo–2nd (1888–1958)		Socialist	May 21, 1947	December 23, 1948
	Kijūrō Shidehara Rep for Osaka–3rd (1872–1951)		Liberal	February 11, 1949	March 10, 1951
	Jōji Hayashi Rep for Kochi (1889–1960)		Liberal	March 13, 1951	August 1, 1952
	Banboku Ōno Rep for Gifu–1st (1890–1964)		Liberal	August 26, 1952	August 28, 1952
				October 24, 1952	March 14, 1953
	Yasujirō Tsutsumi Rep for Shiga (1889–1964)		Kaishintō	May 18, 1953	December 10, 1954
	Tō Matsunaga Rep for Saitama–1st (1887–1968)		Democratic	December 11, 1954	January 24, 1955
	Shūji Masutani Rep for Ishikawa–2nd (1888–1973)		Liberal Democratic	March 18, 1955	April 25, 1958
	Nirō Hoshijima Rep for Okayama–2nd (1887–1980)		Liberal Democratic	June 11, 1958	December 13, 1958
	Ryōgorō Katō Rep for Aichi–1st (1883–1970)		Liberal Democratic	December 13, 1958	February 1, 1960
	Ichirō Kiyose Rep for Hyogo–4th (1884–1967)		Liberal Democratic	February 1, 1960	October 24, 1960
				December 7, 1960	October 23, 1963
	Naka Funada Rep for Tochigi–1st (1895–1979)		Liberal Democratic	December 7, 1963	December 20, 1965
	Kikuichirō Yamaguchi Rep for Wakayama–1st (1897–1981)		Liberal Democratic	December 20, 1965	December 3, 1966
	Kentarō Ayabe Rep for Oita–2nd (1890–1972)		Liberal Democratic	December 3, 1966	December 27, 1966
	Mitsujirō Ishii Rep for Fukuoka–3rd (1889–1981)		Liberal Democratic	February 15, 1967	July 16, 1969
	Takechiyo Matsuda Rep for Osaka–5th (1888–1980)		Liberal Democratic	December 3, 1969	December 27, 1969
	Naka Funada Rep for Tochigi–1st (1895–1979)		Liberal Democratic	January 14, 1970	November 13, 1972
	Umekichi Nakamura Rep for Tokyo–5th (1901–1984)		Liberal Democratic	December 22, 1972	May 29, 1973
	Shigesaburō Maeo Rep for Kyoto–2nd (1905–1981)		Liberal Democratic	May 29, 1973	December 9, 1976
	Shigeru Hori Rep for Saga (1901–1979)		Liberal Democratic	December 24, 1976	February 1, 1979
	Hirokichi Nadao Rep for Hiroshima–1st (1899–1994)		Liberal Democratic	February 1, 1979	September 7, 1979
				October 30, 1979	May 19, 1980
	Hajime Fukuda Rep for Fukui (1902–1997)		Liberal Democratic	July 17, 1980	November 28, 1983
	Kenji Fukunaga Rep for Saitama–5th (1910–1988)		Liberal Democratic	December 26, 1983	January 24, 1985
	Michita Sakata Rep for Kumamoto–2nd (1916–2004)		Liberal Democratic	January 24, 1985	June 2, 1986
	Kenzaburō Hara Rep for Hyogo–2nd (1907–2004)		Liberal Democratic	July 22, 1986	June 2, 1989
	Hajime Tamura Rep for Mie–2nd (1924–2014)		Liberal Democratic	June 2, 1989	January 24, 1990
	Yoshio Sakurauchi Rep for Shimane (1912–2003)		Liberal Democratic	February 27, 1990	June 18, 1993
	Takako Doi Rep for Hyogo–2nd (1928–2014)		Socialist	August 6, 1993	September 27, 1996
	Soichiro Ito Rep for Miyagi–4th (1924–2001)		Liberal Democratic	November 7, 1996	June 2, 2000
	Tamisuke Watanuki Rep for Toyama–3rd (born 1927)		Liberal Democratic	July 4, 2000	October 10, 2003
	Yōhei Kōno Rep for Kanagawa–17th (born 1937)		Liberal Democratic	November 19, 2003	August 8, 2005
				September 21, 2005	July 21, 2009
	Takahiro Yokomichi Rep for Hokkaido–1st (1941–2023)		Democratic	September 16, 2009	November 16, 2012
	Bunmei Ibuki Rep for Kyoto–1st (born 1938)		Liberal Democratic	December 26, 2012	November 21, 2014
	Nobutaka Machimura Rep for Hokkaido–5th (1944–2015)		Liberal Democratic	December 24, 2014	April 21, 2015
	Tadamori Ōshima Rep for Aomori–3rd (born 1946)		Liberal Democratic	April 21, 2015	September 28, 2017
				November 1, 2017	October 14, 2021
	Hiroyuki Hosoda Rep for Shimane–1st (1944–2023)		Liberal Democratic	November 10, 2021	October 20, 2023
	Fukushiro Nukaga Rep for Ibaraki–2nd (born 1944)		Liberal Democratic	October 20, 2023	October 9, 2024
				November 11, 2024	Incumbent

List of vice speakers

Vice speaker		Political party		Term start	Term end
Imperial Diet 1890–1947
	Tsuda Mamichi Rep for Tokyo–8th (1829–1903)		Taiseikai	November 26, 1890	December 25, 1891
	Sone Arasuke Rep for Yamaguchi–4th (1849–1910)		Chuo Club	May 3, 1892	August 31, 1893
	Kusumoto Masataka Rep for Tokyo–4th (1850–1901)		Dōmei Club	November 26, 1893	December 15, 1893
	Abei Iwane Rep for Fukushima–2nd (1832–1916)		Independent	December 18, 1893	December 30, 1893
	Kenkichi Kataoka Rep for Kochi–2nd (1844–1903)		Rikken Jiyūtō	May 12, 1894	June 2, 1894
	Saburō Shimada Rep for Kanagawa–1st (1852–1923)		Rikken Kaishintō	October 15, 1894	December 25, 1897
	Hajime Motoda Rep for Oita–5th (until 1902) Rep for Oita (since 1902) (1858–1938)		Kokumin Kyōkai	May 18, 1898	June 10, 1898
				November 9, 1898	December 7, 1902
			Rikken Seiyūkai	December 7, 1902	December 28, 1902
	Teiichi Sugita Rep for Fukui (1851–1929)		Rikken Seiyūkai	May 9, 1903	December 11, 1903
	Minoura Katsundo Rep for Oita (1854–1929)		Kensei Hontō	March 18, 1904	December 23, 1908
	Koizuka Ryū Rep for Hyogo (1848–1920)		Rikken Kokumintō	December 23, 1908	August 21, 1912
	Naohiko Seki Rep for Tokyo City (1857–1934)		Rikken Kokumintō	August 21, 1912	December 25, 1914
	Takuzō Hanai Rep for Hiroshima Prefecture (1868–1931)		Chūseikai	May 17, 1915	December 26, 1915
	Hayami Seiji Rep for Hiroshima City (1868–1926)		Chūseikai	December 26, 1915	January 25, 1917
	Kunimatsu Hamada Rep for Mie (1868–1939)		Rikken Kokumintō	June 21, 1917	February 26, 1920
	Gizō Kasuya Rep for Saitama–2nd (1866–1930)		Rikken Seiyūkai	June 29, 1920	February 17, 1923
	Genji Matsuda Rep for Oita–7th (1875–1936)		Rikken Seiyūkai	February 17, 1923	January 31, 1924
	Koizumi Matajirō Rep for Kanagawa–2nd (1865–1951)		Kenseikai	June 26, 1924	March 25, 1927
	Gohē Matsūra Rep for Shizuoka–7th (1870–1931)		Seiyūhontō	March 26, 1927	January 21, 1928
	Ichirō Kiyose Rep for Hyogo–4th (1884–1967)		Kakushintō	April 20, 1928	January 21, 1930
	Shōju Koyama Rep for Aichi–1st (1876–1959)		Rikken Minseitō	April 21, 1930	December 22, 1931
	Giichi Masuda Rep for Niigata–4th (1869–1949)		Independent	December 23, 1931	January 21, 1932
	Etsujirō Uehara Rep for Nagano–4th (1877–1962)		Rikken Seiyūkai	March 18, 1932	January 21, 1936
	Tadahiko Okada Rep for Okayama–1st (1878–1958)		Rikken Seiyūkai	May 1, 1936	March 21, 1937
	Tsuneo Kanemitsu Rep for Oita–1st (1877–1955)		Rikken Seiyūkai	July 23, 1937	August 31, 1939
	Kazutami Tago Rep for Iwate–1st (1881–1963)		Rikken Seiyūkai	December 23, 1939	December 22, 1941
	Sakusaburo Uchigasaki Rep for Miyagi–1st (1877–1947)		Taisei Yokusankai	December 24, 1941	June 7, 1945
	Eikichi Katsuta Rep for Osaka–5th (1888–1946)		Taisei Yokusankai	June 8, 1945	December 18, 1945
	Kozaemon Kimura Rep for Shimane (1888–1952)		Progressive	May 22, 1946	February 15, 1947
	Tomoharu Inoue Rep for Kagoshima (1886–1962)		Progressive	February 21, 1947	March 31, 1947
National Diet 1947–present
	Man'itsu Tanaka Rep for Osaka–4th (1882–1963)		Democratic	May 21, 1947	December 23, 1948
	Nobuyuki Iwamoto Rep for Kanagawa–3rd (1895–1963)		Democratic Liberal	February 11, 1949	August 28, 1952
				October 24, 1952	March 14, 1953
	Hyō Hara Rep for Tokyo–1st (1894–1975)		Left Socialist	May 18, 1953	December 15, 1954
	Masamichi Takatsu Rep for Hiroshima–3rd (1893–1974)		Left Socialist	December 15, 1954	January 24, 1955
	Motojirō Sugiyama Rep for Osaka–4th (1885–1964)		Right Socialist	March 18, 1955	April 25, 1958
	Saburō Shīkuma Rep for Hokkaido–1st (1895–1965)		Liberal Democratic	June 11, 1958	December 13, 1958
	Kiyoshi Masaki Rep for Hokkaido–1st (1900–1961)		Socialist	December 13, 1958	January 30, 1960
	Takaichi Nakamura Rep for Tokyo–7th (1897–1981)		Socialist	January 30, 1960	October 24, 1960
	Tsurumatsu Kubota Rep for Osaka–4th (1900–1984)		Socialist	December 7, 1960	June 8, 1961
	Kenzaburō Hara Rep for Hyogo–2nd (1907–2004)		Liberal Democratic	June 8, 1961	October 23, 1963
	Isaji Tanaka Rep for Kyoto–1st (1906–1987)		Liberal Democratic	December 7, 1963	December 20, 1965
	Sunao Sonoda Rep for Kumamoto–2nd (1913–1984)		Liberal Democratic	December 20, 1965	December 27, 1966
				February 15, 1967	November 25, 1967
	Hisao Kodaira Rep for Tochigi–2nd (1910–1998)		Liberal Democratic	December 4, 1967	July 16, 1969
	Sensuke Fujieda Rep for Gunma–1st (1907–1971)		Liberal Democratic	July 16, 1969	December 2, 1969
	Seijuro Arafune Rep for Saitama–3rd (1907–1980)		Liberal Democratic	January 14, 1970	January 29, 1972
	Shirō Hasegawa Rep for Gunma–2nd (1905–1986)		Liberal Democratic	January 29, 1972	November 13, 1972
	Daisuke Akita Rep for Tokushima (1906–1988)		Liberal Democratic	December 22, 1972	December 9, 1976
	Shōichi Miyake Rep for Niigata–3rd (1900–1982)		Socialist	December 24, 1976	September 7, 1979
	Haruo Okada Rep for Hokkaido–4th (1914–1991)		Socialist	October 30, 1979	May 19, 1980
				July 17, 1980	November 28, 1983
	Seiichi Katsumata Rep for Shizuoka–2nd (1908–1989)		Socialist	December 26, 1983	June 2, 1986
	Shinnen Tagaya Rep for Fukuoka–2nd (1920–1995)		Socialist	July 22, 1986	June 2, 1989
	Yoshinori Yasui Rep for Hokkaido–2nd (1915–2012)		Socialist	June 2, 1989	January 24, 1990
	Kiichi Murayama Rep for Kagoshima–2nd (1921–1996)		Socialist	February 27, 1990	June 18, 1993
	Hyōsuke Kujiraoka Rep for Tokyo–10th (1915–2003)		Liberal Democratic	August 6, 1993	September 27, 1996
	Kōzō Watanabe Rep for Fukushima–4th (1932–2020)		New Frontier	November 7, 1996	June 2, 2000
			Assembly of Independents	July 4, 2000	October 10, 2003
	Kansei Nakano Rep for Osaka–8th (born 1940)		Democratic	November 19, 2003	August 8, 2005
	Takahiro Yokomichi Rep for Hokkaido–1st (1941–2023)		Democratic	September 21, 2005	July 21, 2009
	Seishirō Etō Rep for Kyushu PR block (born 1941)		Liberal Democratic	September 16, 2009	November 16, 2012
	Hirotaka Akamatsu Rep for Tōkai PR block (born 1948)		Democratic	December 26, 2012	November 21, 2014
	Tatsuo Kawabata Rep for Kinki PR block (born 1945)		Democratic	December 24, 2014	September 28, 2017
	Hirotaka Akamatsu Rep for Aichi–5th (born 1948)		Constitutional Democratic	November 1, 2017	October 14, 2021
	Banri Kaieda Rep for Tokyo PR block (born 1949)		Constitutional Democratic	November 10, 2021	October 9, 2024
	Kōichirō Genba Rep for Fukushima 2nd (born 1964)		Constitutional Democratic	November 11, 2024	Incumbent