Yasuhide Nakayama was first elected as a member of the House of Representatives in 2003, and since then has been reelected to the Diet on five occasions as a representative for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

During that time he served as State Minister for Foreign Affairs (under Prime Minister Abe) and most recently as the State Minister of Defense/State Minister of Cabinet Office (under Prime Minister Suga). He has also occupied various key Diet posts, including Chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.

In November 2021, Nakayama was appointed Special Advisor for Foreign Affairs to the LDP (to the Chairperson of the Policy Research Council for Foreign Affairs, Defense and Game-Changing Fields).