State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry

YAMADA Kenji

Mr. Yamada Kenji was appointed State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and State Minister of the Cabinet Office on October 22, 2025. He also assumes the key role at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Director-General of Local Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters. In this senior position, Mr. Yamada’s primary responsibility is overseeing METI’s ongoing efforts to support the revitalization of Fukushima, and to promote the region’s Green Transformation.

Mr. Yamada joins METI from the House of Representatives, where he has represented his constituency in Hyogo Prefecture. Mr. Yamada first won election to the House of Representatives in 2012 and has since successfully been reelected five times. Mr. Yamada served as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2019 and State Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2022 to 2023.

Prior to entering the National Diet, Mr. Yamada worked at Sumitomo Bank (currently Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation).

Mr. Yamada is a graduate of Kobe University’s Faculty of Law. He was born on April 20, 1964, in Osaka Prefecture.