Gen Nakatani
Gen Nakatani | |
|---|---|
中谷 元 | |
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Minister of Defense | |
| Assumed office 1 October 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Shigeru Ishiba |
| Preceded by | Minoru Kihara |
| In office 24 December 2014 – 3 August 2016 | |
| Prime Minister | Shinzo Abe |
| Preceded by | Akinori Eto |
| Succeeded by | Tomomi Inada |
| Director-General of the Japan Defense Agency | |
| In office 4 April 2001 – 30 September 2002 | |
| Prime Minister | Yoshirō Mori Junichiro Koizumi |
| Preceded by | Toshitsugu Saito |
| Succeeded by | Shigeru Ishiba |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 19 February 1990 | |
| Constituency | Kōchi at-large (1990–1996) Kōchi 2nd (1996–2014) Kōchi 1st (2014–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 October 1957 Kōchi, Japan |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic |
| Alma mater | National Defense Academy |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Japan |
| Branch/service | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
| Years of service | 1980–1984 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
Gen Nakatani (中谷 元, Nakatani Gen; born 14 October 1957) is a Japanese politician who was Director General of the Japan Defense Agency (now Japan Ministry of Defense) in the first cabinet of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2001-2002 and was appointed the Minister of Defense by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014. Nakatani was again named to the position of Minister of Defense for the cabinet of Shigeru Ishiba in 2024.