Mr. Akazawa Ryosei was appointed Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on October 21, 2025.
He also assumes the positions of Minister in charge of the Response to the Economic Impact caused by the
Nuclear Accident, Minister for Green Transformation, Minister in charge of Industrial Competitiveness, Minister in
charge of International Exposition, and Minister of State for the Nuclear Damage Compensation and
Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation.
Immediately prior to becoming METI Minister, Mr. Akazawa served as Minister in charge of Economic
Revitalization and Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy. During his long career in public policy, Mr.
Akazawa has served in several senior positions in the LDP and in government agencies. Notable roles in
government agencies include State Minister of Finance, State Minister of the Cabinet Office and Parliamentary
Secretary for Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Mr. Akazawa was first elected to public office in 2005, successfully winning reelection six times. He serves as a
member of the House of Representatives representing Tottori Prefecture, 2nd Electoral District.
Prior to entering politics, Mr. Akazawa served as a public servant for about twenty years at Japan’s Ministry of
Land of Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) and the Ministry of Transport, the predecessor agency to MLIT.
Mr. Akazawa is a graduate of the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law and received an MBA from Cornell
University. He was born in Tokyo on December 18, 1960.