Before becoming a politician Gotōda served as Commissioner General of the National Police Agency from 1969 to 1972 and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary from 1972 to 1973.

Masaharu Gotōda was born on 9 August 1914 in Higashiyama Village in the Oe District of Tokushima Prefecture.

After the surrender of Japan he was taken as a prisoner of war by the Chinese National Revolutionary Army.

[3] After four years Gotōda was appointed Commissioner General of the National Police Agency in August 1969.

[1][4][5] The following month Kakuei Tanaka became Prime Minister and appointed Gotōda to the position of Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for administrative affairs.

[5] Gotōda resigned in November 1973 in order to prepare for running as a LDP candidate for the Tokushima prefectural district in the 1974 House of Councillors election with the backing of the Tanaka faction.

[1] When Yasuhiro Nakasone became prime minister in November 1982, Gotōda was appointed his Chief Cabinet Secretary.

"[1][4] In a reshuffle in December 1983 Gotōda was moved to the position of Director General of the Administrative Management Agency.

[1] Gotōda was appointed Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Kiichi Miyazawa in December 1992.