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President of the House of Councillors
Go-shichi no kiri crest 2.svg
Emblem of the Government of Japan
Hidehisa Otsuji cropped 2 Hidehisa Otsuji 200409.jpg
Incumbent
Hidehisa Otsuji

since 3 August 2022
House of Councillors
Style Mr. President (informal)
The Honourable (formal)
Residence The President's Official Residence (not in use)
Appointer House of Councillors
Term length Three years; renewable once
Constituting instrument Constitution of Japan
Formation May 20, 1947; 77 years ago (1947-05-20)
Deputy Vice President of the House of Councillors

The President of the House of Councillors (参議院議長, Sangiin-gichō) is the presiding officer of the House of Councillors 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 Hidehisa Otsuji, who took office on 3 August 2022.

Selection

20220112kokkai01
President Akiko Santo with House Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

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, Hidehisa Otsuji, is a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, while the Vice President, Hiroyuki Nagahama, 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

Official Residence of the the President House of Councilors2
The residence of the President of the House of Councillors (Sangiin gichō kōtei) in Nagatachō, Chiyoda ward, Tokyo is mainly used for official occasions such as reception of state guests. The residence of the Vice President is located in Azabu-Nagasakachō in Minato ward.
President Political party Term start Term end
Tsuneo Matsudaira.jpg Tsuneo Matsudaira
Councillor for Fukushima
(1877–1949)
Ryokufūkai May 20, 1947 November 14, 1949
Naotake Sato.jpg Naotake Satō
Councillor for Aomori
(1882–1971)
Ryokufūkai November 15, 1949 May 19, 1953
Yahachi Kawai.jpg Yahachi Kawai
Councillor for Shizuoka
(1877–1960)
Ryokufūkai May 19, 1953 April 3, 1956
Tsuruhei Matsuno.jpg Tsuruhei Matsuno
Councillor for Kumamoto
(1883–1962)
Ryokufūkai April 3, 1956 August 6, 1962
Yuzo Shigemune.jpg Yūzō Shigemune
Councillor for National District
(1894–1976)
Liberal Democratic August 6, 1962 July 17, 1971
Kono Kenzo.JPG Kenzō Kōno
Councillor for Kanagawa
(1901–1983)
Liberal Democratic July 17, 1971 July 3, 1977
Ken Yasui
Councillor for Tokyo
(1911–1986)
Liberal Democratic July 28, 1977 July 7, 1980
Masatoshi Tokunaga
Councillor for National District
(1913–1990)
Liberal Democratic July 17, 1980 July 9, 1983
Mutsuo Kimura
Councillor for Okayama
(1913–2001)
Liberal Democratic July 18, 1983 July 22, 1986
Masaaki Fujita
Councillor for Hiroshima
(1922–1996)
Liberal Democratic July 22, 1986 September 30, 1988
Yoshihiko Tsuchiya
Councillor for Saitama
(1926–2008)
Liberal Democratic September 30, 1988 October 4, 1991
Yuji Osada 1979.jpg Yūji Osada
Councillor for PR District
(1917–2003)
Liberal Democratic October 4, 1991 July 9, 1992
Bunbē Hara
Councillor for Tokyo
(1913–1999)
Liberal Democratic August 7, 1992 July 22, 1995
Jūrō Saitō
Councillor for Mie
(born 1940)
Liberal Democratic August 4, 1995 October 19, 2000
Yutaka Inoue 1990.jpg Yutaka Inoue
Councillor for Chiba
(1927–2008)
Liberal Democratic October 19, 2000 April 22, 2002
Hiroyuki Kurata
Councillor for Chiba
(1938–2020)
Liberal Democratic April 22, 2002 July 30, 2004
Chikage Ogi 2006.png Chikage Oogi
Councillor for PR District
(1933–2023)
Liberal Democratic July 30, 2004 July 28, 2007
Satsuki Eda cropped.jpg Satsuki Eda
Councillor for Okayama
(1941–2021)
Democratic July 28, 2007 July 25, 2010
Takeo Nishioka 2011 (cropped).jpg Takeo Nishioka
Councillor for PR District
(1936–2011)
Democratic July 30, 2010 November 5, 2011
Kenji Hirata 2012.jpg Kenji Hirata
Councillor for Gifu
(born 1944)
Democratic November 14, 2011 July 28, 2013
Masaaki Yamazaki cropped 2 Masaaki Yamazaki and Andris Berzins 20140716.jpg Masaaki Yamazaki
Councillor for Fukui
(born 1942)
Liberal Democratic August 2, 2013 July 25, 2016
Chūichi Date (2018).jpg Chūichi Date
Councillor for Hokkaido
(born 1939)
Liberal Democratic August 1, 2016 July 28, 2019
Akiko Santō (cropped).jpg Akiko Santō
Councillor for PR District
(born 1942)
Liberal Democratic August 1, 2019 August 3, 2022
Hidehisa Otsuji cropped 2 Hidehisa Otsuji 200409.jpg Hidehisa Otsuji
Councillor for Kagoshima
(born 1940)
Liberal Democratic August 3, 2022 Incumbent

List of vice presidents of the House of Councillors

Vice president Political party Term start Term end
Jiichiro Matsumoto.JPG Jiichirō Matsumoto
Councillor for National District
(1887–1966)
Socialist May 20, 1947 February 24, 1949
Kisaku Matsushima
Councillor for National District
(1891–1977)
Democratic Liberal March 26, 1949 May 2, 1950
Jirō Miki
Councillor for Kanagawa
(1885–1963)
Socialist July 12, 1950 May 2, 1953
Yuzo Shigemune.jpg Yūzō Shigemune
Councillor for National District
(1894–1976)
Liberal May 19, 1953 May 9, 1956
Yutaka Terao
Councillor for Kochi
(1898–1972)
Liberal Democratic May 9, 1956 June 12, 1958
Tarō Hirai
Councillor for Kagawa
(1905–1973)
Liberal Democratic June 16, 1958 July 7, 1962
Yōtoku Shigemasa
Councillor for National District
(1895–1977)
Liberal Democratic August 6, 1962 June 1, 1965
Kono Kenzo.JPG Kenzō Kōno
Councillor for Kanagawa
(1901–1983)
Liberal Democratic July 30, 1965 August 3, 1968
Ken Yasui
Councillor for Tokyo
(1911–1986)
Liberal Democratic August 3, 1968 July 17, 1971
Yasoichi Mori
Councillor for National District
(1899–1990)
Liberal Democratic July 17, 1971 July 7, 1974
Kazuo Maeda 1972.jpg Kazuo Maeda
Councillor for Wakayama
(1910–1978)
Liberal Democratic July 27, 1974 July 28, 1977
Kan Kase
Councillor for Chiba
(1910–1995)
Socialist July 28, 1977 August 30, 1979
Chōzō Akiyama
Councillor for Okayama
(1917–2010)
Socialist August 30, 1979 July 9, 1983
Noboru Agune
Councillor for National District
(1912–2004)
Socialist July 18, 1983 July 7, 1986
Hideyuki Seya
Councillor for Saitama
(1919–2008)
Socialist July 22, 1986 August 7, 1989
Akira Ono
Councillor for Fukuoka
(1920–1990)
Socialist August 7, 1989 April 19, 1990
Ippei Koyama
Councillor for Nagano
(1914–2011)
Socialist April 25, 1990 July 7, 1992
Misao Akagiri
Councillor for Chiba
(1920–2010)
Socialist August 7, 1992 August 4, 1995
Kanpei Matsuo
Councillor for Aomori
(1927–2013)
New Frontier August 4, 1995 July 25, 1998
Hisamitsu Sugano
Councillor for Hokkaido
(1928–2006)
Democratic July 30, 1998 July 22, 2001
Shōji Motooka
Councillor for Hyogo
(1931–2017)
Democratic August 7, 2001 July 25, 2004
Giichi Tsunoda.jpg Gīchi Tsunoda
Councillor for Gunma
(born 1937)
Democratic July 30, 2004 January 30, 2007
Akira Imaizumi
Councillor for Chiba
(1934–2021)
Democratic January 30, 2007 July 28, 2007
Akiko Santō (cropped).jpg Akiko Santō
Councillor for PR District
(born 1942)
Liberal Democratic August 7, 2007 July 30, 2010
Hidehisa Otsuji cropped 2 Hidehisa Otsuji 200409.jpg Hidehisa Otsuji
Councillor for PR District
(born 1940)
Liberal Democratic July 30, 2010 December 26, 2012
Masaaki Yamazaki cropped 2 Masaaki Yamazaki and Andris Berzins 20140716.jpg Masaaki Yamazaki
Councillor for Fukui
(born 1942)
Liberal Democratic December 26, 2012 August 2, 2013
Azuma Koshiishi 2.jpg Azuma Koshiishi
Councillor for Yamanashi
(born 1936)
Democratic August 2, 2013 July 25, 2016
Akira Gunji 201810 cropped.jpg Akira Gunji
Councillor for Ibaraki
(born 1949)
Democratic August 1, 2016 August 1, 2019
Toshio Ogawa 201201.jpg Toshio Ogawa
Councillor for Tokyo
(born 1948)
Constitutional Democratic August 1, 2019 August 3, 2022
Hiroyuki Nagahama 2020.jpg Hiroyuki Nagahama
Councillor for Chiba
(born 1958)
Constitutional Democratic August 3, 2022 Incumbent
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