The is a post given to a minister of state designated by the prime minister of Japan to temporarily perform the prime minister's duties when they are not able to.Cabinet Law (Law No.5 of 1947, as Amended) The prime minister does not have to designate a successor, and as such the position is not always filled.
The position has been vacant since 4 October 2021, but the most recent, and longest serving, deputy prime minister was Tarō Asō, who served as minister of finance concurrently. The deputy prime minister only exercises the functions of prime minister until the National Diet selects a new prime minister.
List of deputy prime ministers of Japan Portrait Name Term of office PartyPrime Minister Government Took office Left office DurationKijūrō ShideharaRep for Osaka 3rd19471947Japan ProgressiveShigeru YoshidaYoshida IVacantTetsu KatayamaKatayamaHitoshi AshidaRep for Kyōto 2nd19471948DemocraticSuehiro NishioRep for Osaka 2nd19481948SocialistHitoshi AshidaAshidaVacantShigeru YoshidaYoshida IIJōji HayashiRep for Kōchi at-large19481951Democratic LiberalYoshida IIILiberalVacantYoshida IVTaketora OgataRep for Fukuoka 1st19521954LiberalYoshida VMamoru ShigemitsuRep for Ōita 2nd19541956Japan DemocraticIchirō HatoyamaHatoyama I. IHatoyama I. IILiberal DemocraticHatoyama I. IIIVacantTanzan IshibashiIshibashiNobusuke KishiKishi IMitsujirō IshiiRep for Fukuoka 3rd19571958Liberal DemocraticVacantKishi IIShūji MasutaniRep for Ishikawa 2nd19591960Liberal DemocraticVacantHayato IkedaIkeda IIkeda IIIkeda IIIEisaku SatōSatō ISatō IISatō IIIKakuei TanakaTanaka K. ITakeo MikiRep for Tokushima at-large19721974Liberal DemocraticTanaka K. IIVacantTakeo FukudaRep for Gunma 3rd19741976Liberal DemocraticTakeo MikiMikiVacantTakeo FukudaFukuda T.Masayoshi ŌhiraŌhira IŌhira IIMasayoshi ItoRep for Fukushima 2nd19801980Liberal DemocraticMasayoshi ItoVacantZenkō SuzukiSuzuki Z.Yasuhiro NakasoneNakasone INakasone IIShin KanemaruRep for Yamanashi at-large19861987Liberal DemocraticNakasone IIIKiichi MiyazawaRep for Hiroshima 3rd19871988Liberal DemocraticNoboru TakeshitaTakeshitaVacantSōsuke UnoUnoToshiki KaifuKaifu IKaifu IIMichio WatanabeRep for Tochigi 1st19911993Liberal DemocraticKiichi MiyazawaMiyazawaMasaharu GotōdaRep for Tokushima at-large19931993Liberal DemocraticTsutomu HataRep for Nagano 2nd19931994RenewalMorihiro HosokawaHosokawaVacantTsutomu HataHataYōhei KōnoRep for Kanagawa 5th19941995Liberal DemocraticTomiichi MurayamaMurayamaRyutaro HashimotoRep for Okayama 2nd19951996Liberal DemocraticWataru KuboCouncillor for Kagoshima at-large19961996Social DemocraticRyutaro HashimotoHashimoto IVacantHashimoto IIKeizō ObuchiObuchiYoshirō MoriMori IMori IIJunichiro KoizumiKoizumi IKoizumi IIKoizumi IIIShinzo AbeAbe S. IYasuo FukudaFukuda Y.Tarō AsōAsōNaoto KanRep for Tokyo 18th20092010DemocraticYukio HatoyamaHatoyama Y.VacantNaoto KanKanYoshihiko NodaNodaKatsuya OkadaRep for Mie 3rd20122012DemocraticTarō AsōRep for Fukuoka 8th20122021Liberal DemocraticShinzo AbeAbe S. IIAbe S. IIIAbe S. IVYoshihide SugaSugaVacantFumio KishidaKishida IKishida IIShigeru Ishiba Ishiba IIshiba IISanae TakaichiTakaichi ITakaichi II
References
Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary, Kenkyusha Limited, Tokyo 1991,