Takeshi Maeda (前田 武志, Maeda Takeshi, born October 22, 1937) is a retired Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).

A native of Yoshino District, Nara, Maeda graduated from Kyoto University with a master's degree.

[1][2] However, Maeda left the ministry the following year after a series of censure motions [3] were passed by the House of Councillors in April 2012.

These motions required prime minister Noda to dismiss both Maeda and the Minister of Defence Naoki Tanaka in order to get the necessary support from the opposition parties to pass his plan to increase Japan's consumption tax rate.

[4] Maeda retired from the House of Councillors after his term expired in 2016.