Minister of State

In the broad sense, they are members of the Cabinet (ministers), but in the narrow sense, they refer to ministers other than the Prime Minister. In Japan after the Second World War, the parliamentary cabinet system was clearly established by the Constitution, so ministers of state are jointly responsible to the Diet. In this respect, it is different from the prewar days when ministers of state individually assisted the Emperor in his authority to exercise sovereignty. The majority of ministers of state must be members of the Diet (Article 68 of the Constitution), and in Japan, all ministers of state are cabinet members and can attend cabinet meetings at all times, which is different from the United Kingdom, where there are more than 20 ministers of state (ministers of state within the Cabinet, cabinet members) who are members of the Cabinet, and other ministers of state (ministers outside the Cabinet). It is also different from the United States, where secretaries (ministers) are appointed from among non-members of the Diet.

The Prime Minister appoints and dismisses Ministers of State, but in such cases, the Emperor's approval is required. Before World War II, the Ministers of the Army and Navy were active military personnel, but after the war, all Ministers of State must be civilians (Article 66, Clause 2 of the Constitution). This provision on civilians was interpreted as meaning that the Ministers were not professional military personnel before the war, but now it is changed to meaning that the Ministers are not people who hold significantly militaristic ideology.

In principle, there are 14 or less Ministers of State (17 or less in special cases), excluding the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister, as the head of the Cabinet Office, and the Ministers as the heads of each ministry are called "chief ministers" and supervise the administrative affairs of each ministry. In addition, there are the Chief Cabinet Secretary, the Directors-General of each agency, and Ministers without Portfolio who are not responsible for any particular administrative affairs. Ministers of State have the right and obligation to attend the Diet, and if a motion of no confidence in the Cabinet is passed in the House of Representatives, or a motion of confidence is rejected, the Cabinet must resign en masse within 10 days or dissolve the Diet, and in either case, the Ministers of State will lose their positions. Ministers of State have the privilege of not being prosecuted during their term of office without the consent of the Prime Minister. The status of Ministers of State as public servants is a special position.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

広義には内閣の構成員（閣僚）であるが、狭義には内閣総理大臣以外の閣僚をいう。第二次世界大戦後の日本では議院内閣制が憲法によって明確化されているので、国務大臣は国会に対して連帯して責任を負う。この点、戦前の国務大臣が統治権を総攬(そうらん)する天皇の権能を個々に補佐（補弼(ほひつ)）していたのとは異なる。国務大臣の過半数は国会議員でなければならず（憲法68条）、また日本の場合、国務大臣はすべて閣僚で常時閣議に出席できるので、イギリスのように内閣の構成員である20余名の国務大臣（閣内相、閣僚）とそうでない国務大臣（閣外相）が存在するのとは異なる。さらに、アメリカの長官（大臣）のように、国会議員以外から長官が任命されるのとも異なる。

　内閣総理大臣は国務大臣を任免するが、その場合には天皇の認証が必要である。第二次世界大戦前の陸・海軍大臣には現役の軍人があてられたが、戦後は、すべての国務大臣は文民でなければならないとされている（憲法66条2項）。この文民規定については、戦前に職業軍人でなかった者という解釈がとられていたが、現在では、著しく軍国主義的な思想の持ち主でない者というように変わってきている。

　国務大臣は、内閣総理大臣を除き原則的に14名以内（特別の場合17人以内）と定められ、内閣府の長としての内閣総理大臣および各省の長としての大臣は、とくに「主任の大臣」とよばれ、行政各省の行政事務を指揮監督する。そのほか、内閣官房長官、各庁長官、特定の行政事務を分担管理しない無任所大臣もいる。国務大臣は国会に出席する権利と義務を有し、衆議院において内閣不信任決議案が可決され、または信任決議案が否決されれば、内閣は10日以内に総辞職するか、国会を解散しなければならないから、いずれにせよ、国務大臣はその地位を失う。国務大臣は、その在任中、内閣総理大臣の同意がなければ訴追されないという特権をもつ。国務大臣の公務員としての地位は特別職である。

［田中　浩］

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