| September 2005 | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| September 2004 | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| October 2002 | Director-General, Election Bureau, LDP |
| April 2001 | Acting Secretary-General, LDP |
| January 2001 | Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology |
| December 2000 | Minister of Education, Science, Sports and Culture and Director-General of the Science and Technology Agency (Second Mori Cabinet) |
| March 2000 | Special Advisor to the Prime Minister (Second Obuchi Cabinet and First Mori Cabinet) |
| July 1998 | State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Obuchi Cabinet) |
| September 1997 | Minister of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (Second Hashimoto Cabinet) |
| November 1996 | Chairman, Standing Committee on Health and Welfare, House of Representatives |
| December 1992 | Director, National Defense Division, Policy Research Council, LDP |
| March 1990 | Director, Cultural Affairs Division, LDP |
| August 1989 | Parliamentary Vice-Minister, Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (reappointed under First Kaifu Cabinet) |
| June 1989 | Parliamentary Vice-Minister, Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (Uno Cabinet) |
| December 1983 | Elected for the first time to the House of Representatives at the 37th election (elected for seventh consecutive term at the 43rd House of Representatives general election, 9 November, 2003) |
| April 1982 | Retired as Director of the Planning Division, Petroleum Department, Agency of Natural Resources and Energy, MITI |
| May 1979 | Seconded to Japan External Trade Organization (New York Trade Center) |
| June 1974 | Seconded to National Land Agency |
| July 1969 | Joined Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) |
