The is the presiding officer of the House of Councillors, the upper house of Japan, and together with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the president is also the head of the legislative branch of Japan. The president is elected by members of the House at the start of each session, and can serve two three-year terms, for a maximum of six years.
The current president of the House of Councillors is Masakazu Sekiguchi, who took office on 11 November 2024.
Selection
The election of the president takes place on the day of the new session, under the moderation of the secretary-general of the House. The president 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 president is elected by a lottery. The vice president is elected separately, in the same way.
Usually, the president is a senior member of the ruling party, and the vice president is a senior member of the opposition party. The current president, Masakazu Sekiguchi, is a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, while the vice president, Tetsuro Fukuyama, is a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.
Powers and duties
According to Chapter III Article 19 of the Diet Law, the president "shall maintain order in the House, arrange its business, supervise its administration, and represent the House".
The president is also authorized to maintain order in the House chambers by exercising police power. Upon the president's request, police personnel are sent by the National Police Agency, and are placed under the president's direction. The president 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 Councillors acts in a disorderly manner, the president can warn them or make them withdraw their statements. If the member does not obey these orders, the president 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 president may also temporarily suspend or adjourn the sitting for the day.
List of presidents of the House of Councillors Portrait Name Term of office Party Took office Left office DurationTsuneo MatsudairaCouncillor for Fukushima (1877–1949)20 May194714 November1949RyokufūkaiNaotake SatōCouncillor for Aomori(1882–1971)15 November194919 May1953RyokufūkaiYahachi KawaiCouncillor for Shizuoka(1877–1960)19 May19533 April1956RyokufūkaiTsuruhei MatsunoCouncillor for Kumamoto(1883–1962)3 April19566 August1962Liberal DemocraticYūzō ShigemuneCouncillor for National(1894–1976)6 August196217 July1971Liberal DemocraticKenzō KōnoCouncillor for Kanagawa(1901–1983)17 July19713 July1977Liberal DemocraticKen YasuiCouncillor for Tokyo(1911–1986)28 July19777 July1980Liberal DemocraticMasatoshi TokunagaCouncillor for National(1913–1990)17 July19809 July1983Liberal DemocraticMutsuo KimuraCouncillor for Okayama(1913–2001)18 July198322 July1986Liberal DemocraticMasaaki FujitaCouncillor for Hiroshima(1922–1996)22 July198630 September1988Liberal DemocraticYoshihiko TsuchiyaCouncillor for Saitama(1922–1996)30 September19884 October1991Liberal DemocraticYūji OsadaCouncillor for National PR(1917–2003)4 October19919 July1992Liberal DemocraticBunbē HaraCouncillor for Tokyo(1913–1999)7 August199222 July1995Liberal DemocraticJūrō SaitōCouncillor for Mie(1940–2025)4 August199519 October2000Liberal DemocraticYutaka InoueCouncillor for Chiba(1927–2008)19 October200022 April2002Liberal DemocraticHiroyuki KurataCouncillor for Chiba(1938–2020)22 April200230 July2004Liberal DemocraticChikage OogiCouncillor for National PR(1933–2023)30 July200428 July2007Liberal DemocraticSatsuki EdaCouncillor for Okayama(1941–2021)28 July200725 July2010DemocraticTakeo NishiokaCouncillor for National PR(1936–2011)30 July20105 November2011DemocraticKenji HirataCouncillor for Gifu(born 1944)14 November201128 July2013DemocraticMasaaki YamazakiCouncillor for Fukui(born 1942)2 August201325 July2016Liberal DemocraticChūichi DateCouncillor for Hokkaido(born 1939)1 August201628 July2019Liberal DemocraticAkiko SantōCouncillor for National PR(born 1942)1 August20193 August2022Liberal DemocraticHidehisa OtsujiCouncillor for Kagoshima(born 1940)3 August202211 November2024Liberal DemocraticMasakazu SekiguchiCouncillor for Saitama(born 1953)11 November2024IncumbentLiberal Democratic
List of vice presidents of the House of Councillors Portrait Name Term of office Party Took office Left office DurationJiichirō MatsumotoCouncillor for National (1887–1966)20 May194724 February1949SocialistKisaku MatsushimaCouncillor for National (1891–1977)26 March19492 May1950Democratic LiberalJirō MikiCouncillor for Kanagawa(1885–1963)12 July19502 May1953SocialistYūzō ShigemuneCouncillor for National(1894–1976)19 May19539 May1956LiberalYutaka TeraoCouncillor for Kochi(1898–1972)9 May195612 June1958Liberal DemocraticTarō HiraiCouncillor for Kagawa(1905–1973)16 June19587 July1962Liberal DemocraticYōtoku ShigemasaCouncillor for National(1895–1977)6 August19621 June1965Liberal DemocraticKenzō KōnoCouncillor for Kanagawa(1901–1983)30 July19653 August1968Liberal DemocraticKen YasuiCouncillor for Tokyo(1911–1986)3 August196817 July1971Liberal DemocraticYasoichi MoriCouncillor for National(1899–1990)17 July19717 July1974Liberal DemocraticKazuo MaedaCouncillor for Wakayama(1910–1978)27 July197428 July1977Liberal DemocraticKan KaseCouncillor for Chiba(1910–1995)28 July197730 August1979SocialistChōzō AkiyamaCouncillor for Okayama(1917–2010)30 August19799 July1983SocialistNoboru AguneCouncillor for National(1912–2004)18 July19837 July1986SocialistHideyuki SeyaCouncillor for Saitama(1919–2008)22 July19867 August1989SocialistAkira OnoCouncillor for Fukuoka(1920–1990)7 August198919 April1990SocialistIppei KoyamaCouncillor for Nagano(1914–2011)25 April19907 July1992SocialistMisao AkagiriCouncillor for Chiba(1920–2010)7 August19924 August1995SocialistMisao AkagiriCouncillor for Aomori(1927–2013)4 August199525 July1998New FrontierHisamitsu SuganoCouncillor for Hokkaido(1928–2006)30 July199822 July2001DemocraticShōji MotookaCouncillor for Hyōgo(1931–2017)7 August200125 July2004DemocraticGiichi TsunodaCouncillor for Gunma(1937–2024)30 July200430 January2007DemocraticAkira ImaizumiCouncillor for Chiba(1934–2021)30 January200728 July2007DemocraticAkiko SantōCouncillor for National PR(born 1942)7 August200730 July2010Liberal DemocraticHidehisa OtsujiCouncillor for National PR(born 1940)30 July201016 December2012Liberal DemocraticMasaaki YamazakiCouncillor for Fukui(born 1942)16 December20122 August2013Liberal DemocraticAzuma KoshiishiCouncillor for Yamanashi(born 1936)2 August201325 July2016DemocraticAkira GunjiCouncillor for Ibaraki(born 1949)1 August20161 August2019DemocraticToshio OgawaCouncillor for Tokyo(born 1948)1 August20193 August2022Constitutional DemocraticHiroyuki NagahamaCouncillor for Chiba(born 1958)3 August20221 August2025Constitutional DemocraticTetsuro FukuyamaCouncillor for Kyoto(born 1962)1 August2025IncumbentConstitutional Democratic
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