Yoshimasa Hayashi

Yoshimasa Hayashi (林 芳正, Hayashi Yoshimasa, born 19 January 1961) is a Japanese politician who has been the Chief Cabinet Secretary since 2023. He was the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2021 to 2024.^[1] He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He is also in the House of Representatives for the Yamaguchi 3rd district since 2021.

Yoshimasa Hayashi
林 芳正
Official portrait, 2023
Chief Cabinet Secretary
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 December 2023
Prime Minister	Fumio Kishida Shigeru Ishiba
Preceded by	Hirokazu Matsuno
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office 10 November 2021 – 13 September 2023
Prime Minister	Fumio Kishida
Preceded by	Toshimitsu Motegi Fumio Kishida (acting)
Succeeded by	Yoko Kamikawa
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
In office 3 August 2017 – 2 October 2018
Prime Minister	Shinzō Abe
Preceded by	Hirokazu Matsuno
Succeeded by	Hiroshi Moriyama
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
In office 23 February 2015 – 7 October 2015
Prime Minister	Shinzō Abe
Preceded by	Koya Nishikawa
In office 26 December 2012 – 3 September 2014
Prime Minister	Shinzō Abe
Preceded by	Akira Gunji
Succeeded by	Koya Nishikawa
Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
In office 2 July 2009 – 16 September 2009
Prime Minister	Taro Aso
Preceded by	Kaoru Yosano
Succeeded by	Naoto Kan
Minister of Defense
In office 2 August 2008 – 24 September 2008
Prime Minister	Yasuo Fukuda
Preceded by	Shigeru Ishiba
Succeeded by	Yasukazu Hamada
Member of the House of Representatives for Yamaguchi's 3rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 November 2021
Preceded by	Takeo Kawamura
Member of the House of Councillors for Yamaguchi's at-large district
In office 24 July 1995 – 16 August 2021
Preceded by	Ken'ichi Yamada
Succeeded by	Tsuneo Kitamura
Personal details
Born	(1961-01-19) 19 January 1961 (age 64) Shimonoseki, Japan
Political party	Liberal Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Yuko Hayashi
Children	2
Parents	Yoshiro Hayashi (father) Mariko Hayashi (mother)
Relatives	Reiko Hayashi (sister) Keisuke Hayashi (paternal grandfather) Heishiro Hayashi (great-great-grandfather) Katsusada Hirose (uncle-in-law)
Alma mater	University of Tokyo (LLB) Harvard University (MPA)
Website	Official website

In August 2024, Hayashi announced his candidacy for the Liberal Democratic leadership election to replace Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.^[2] He lost the election to former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba on 27 September 2024.^[3]