<!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see WP:SDNONE -->
The prime minister of Japan is the country's head of government and the leader of the Cabinet. This is a list of prime ministers of Japan, from when the first Japanese prime minister (in the modern sense), Itō Hirobumi, took office in 1885, until the present day. 32 prime ministers under the Meiji Constitution had a mandate from the Emperor. The "electoral mandates" shown are for the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Imperial Diet, which was not constitutionally guaranteed to have any influence on the appointment of the prime minister.
The prime minister under the Constitution of Japan is designated from among the members of the National Diet, and appointed by the Emperor after being nominated by the National Diet. The premiership of Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni, who was prime minister for fifty-four days in 1945, was the shortest in Japanese history. Shinzo Abe served the longest, with eight years over two non-consecutive periods. The incumbent and first female prime minister is Sanae Takaichi, who assumed the office on 21 October 2025.
From 1871 to 1885
The office of daijō-daijin (太政大臣, chancellor of the realm) was the equivalent of what would become the office of prime minister. It was an ancient role which had been discontinued in the 18th century and was briefly revived during the Meiji era.
Daijō-daijin (chancellor of the realm)
{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.4em; text-align:center;"
|+List of daijō-daijin (chancellor of the realm) (1871–1885)
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" scope="col" | Portrait
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Daijō-daijin<br/>
! colspan="3" scope="colgroup" | Term of office
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Mandate
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Party
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Government
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Emperor
|-
! Start
! End
! Duration
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Sanjō Sanetomi<br /><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1871
| class=nowrap | <br />1885
|
|
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
| class=nowrap |
| style="vertical-align: top;" | Meijialt=Emperor Meiji|frameless|none|upright=0.4
|-
|}
The office of Daijō-daijin was abolished in December 1885 with the appointment of Itō Hirobumi in the new position of prime minister of Japan (内閣総理大臣, Naikaku Sōri-Daijin).
Since 1885
Prime ministers
{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.4em; text-align:center;"
|+List of prime ministers of Japan since 1885
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" scope="col" | Portrait
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Prime minister<br/>
! colspan="3" scope="colgroup" | Term of office
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Mandate
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Party
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Government
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Emperor
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Ref
|-
! Start
! End
! Duration
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Itō Hirobumi<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1885
| class=nowrap | <br />1888
|
| —
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent<br>
| class=nowrap | 1. Itō I
| rowspan=29 style="vertical-align: top;" | Meijialt=Emperor Meiji|frameless|none|upright=0.4
|
|-
| bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Kuroda Kiyotaka<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1888
| class=nowrap | <br />1889
|
| —
| bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| class=nowrap | 2. Kuroda
|
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Sanjō Sanetomi<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1889
| class=nowrap | <br />1889
|
| —
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
| class=nowrap | Sanjō caretaker
|
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | <br />Yamagata Aritomo<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1889
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1891
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 3. Yamagata I
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| 1890
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | <br />Matsukata Masayoshi<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1891
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1892
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent<br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 4. Matsukata I
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| 1892
|-
| rowspan=3 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=3 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=3 | <br />Itō Hirobumi<br><br>
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1892
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1896
| rowspan=3 |
| —
| rowspan=3 bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent<br>
| rowspan=4 class=nowrap | 5. Itō II
| rowspan=4 |
|-
| 1894
|-
| 1894
|-
| bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Kuroda Kiyotaka<br><br>
| <br />1896
| <br />1896
|
| —
| bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
|-
| rowspan=1 bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Matsukata Masayoshi<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1896
| class=nowrap | <br />1898
|
| —
| rowspan=1 bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent<br>
| class=nowrap | 6. Matsukata II
|
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | <br />Itō Hirobumi<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1898
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1898
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent<br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 7. Itō III
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| 1898
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | <br />Ōkuma Shigenobu<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1898
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1898
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#fbc1bc"| Kenseitō
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 8. Ōkuma I
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| 1898
|-
| bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Yamagata Aritomo<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1898
| class=nowrap | <br />1900
|
| —
| bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| class=nowrap | 9. Yamagata II
|
|-
| rowspan=1 bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Itō Hirobumi<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1900
| class=nowrap | <br />1901
|
| —
| rowspan=1 bgcolor="#abd59e"| Rikken Seiyūkai
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | 10. Itō IV
| rowspan=3 |
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | <br />Saionji Kinmochi<br><br>
| <br />1900
| <br />1900
|
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#abd59e"| Rikken Seiyūkai
|-
| <br />1901
| <br />1901
|
| —
|-
| rowspan=4 bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| rowspan=4 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=4 | <br />Katsura Tarō<br><br>
| rowspan=4 class=nowrap | <br />1901
| rowspan=4 class=nowrap | <br />1906
| rowspan=4 |
| —
| rowspan=4 bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| rowspan=4 class=nowrap | 11. Katsura I
| rowspan=4 |
|-
| 1902
|-
| 1903
|-
| 1904
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | <br />Saionji Kinmochi<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1906
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1908
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#abd59e"| Rikken Seiyūkai
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 12. Saionji I
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| 1908
|-
| bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Katsura Tarō<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1908
| class=nowrap | <br />1911
|
| —
| bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| class=nowrap | 13. Katsura II
|
|-
| rowspan=3 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=3 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=3 | <br />Saionji Kinmochi<br><br>
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1911
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1912
| rowspan=3 |
| —
| rowspan=3 bgcolor="#abd59e"| Rikken Seiyūkai
| rowspan=3 | 14. Saionji II
| rowspan=3 |
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1912
|-
| rowspan=18 style="vertical-align: top;" | Taishōalt=Emperor Taishō|frameless|none|upright=0.4
|-
| bgcolor="" |
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Katsura Tarō<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1912
| class=nowrap | <br />1913
|
| —
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
| 15. Katsura III
|
|-
| bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Yamamoto Gonnohyōe<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1913
| class=nowrap | <br />1914
|
| —
| bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| class=nowrap | 16. Yamamoto I
|
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#DA7B8B"|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | <br />Ōkuma Shigenobu<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1914
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1916
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#ecbdc5"| Rikken Dōshikai
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 17. Ōkuma II
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| 1915
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | <br />Terauchi Masatake<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1916
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1918
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 18. Terauchi
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| 1917
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Hara Takashi<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1918
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1921
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#abd59e"| Rikken Seiyūkai
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | 19. Hara
| rowspan=3 |
|-
| 1920
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Uchida Kōsai<br><br>
| <br />1921
| <br />1921
|
| —
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Takahashi Korekiyo<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1921
| class=nowrap | <br />1922
|
| —
| bgcolor="#abd59e"| Rikken Seiyūkai
| class=nowrap | 20. Takahashi
|
|-
| bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Katō Tomosaburō<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1922
| class=nowrap | <br />1923
|
| —
| bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 21. Katō To.
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Uchida Kōsai<br><br>
| <br />1923
| <br />1923
|
| —
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
|-
| bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Yamamoto Gonnohyōe<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1923
| class=nowrap | <br />1924
|
| —
| bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| class=nowrap | 22. Yamamoto II
|
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Kiyoura Keigo<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1924
| class=nowrap | <br />1924
|
| —
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
| class=nowrap | 23. Kiyoura
|
|-
| rowspan=1 bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Katō Takaaki<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1924
| class=nowrap | <br />1926
|
| 1924
| rowspan=1 bgcolor="#c3e6fc" | Kenseikai
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 24. Katō Ta.
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| rowspan=3 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=3 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=3 | Wakatsuki Reijirō<br><br>
| <br />1926
| <br />1926
|
| —
| rowspan=3 bgcolor="#c3e6fc"| Kenseikai
|- style="height:5ex" <!-- to enable correct break with change of emperor -->
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1926
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1927
| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | —
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 25. Wakatsuki I
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| rowspan=62 style="vertical-align: top;" | Shōwa<br />alt=Emperor Shōwa|frameless|none|upright=0.4
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | <br />Tanaka Giichi<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1927
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1929
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#abd59e"| Rikken Seiyūkai
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 26. Tanaka G.
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| 1928
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Hamaguchi Osachi<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1929
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1931
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#9DCFFF" | Rikken Minseitō
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | 27. Hamaguchi
| rowspan=3 |
|-
| 1930
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| <br />Kijūrō Shidehara<br><br>
| <br />1930
| <br />1931
|
| —
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Wakatsuki Reijirō<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1931
| class=nowrap | <br />1931
|
| —
| bgcolor="#9DCFFF"| Rikken Minseitō
| class=nowrap | 28. Wakatsuki II
|
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Inukai Tsuyoshi<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1931
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1932
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#abd59e"| Rikken Seiyūkai
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | 29. Inukai
| rowspan=3 |
|-
| 1932
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Takahashi Korekiyo<br><br>
| <br />1932
| <br />1932
|
| —
| bgcolor="#abd59e"| Rikken Seiyūkai
|-
| rowspan=1 bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Saitō Makoto<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1932
| class=nowrap | <br />1934
|
| —
| rowspan=1 bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| class=nowrap | 30. Saitō
|
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Okada Keisuke<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1934
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1936
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | 31. Okada
| rowspan=3 |
|-
| 1936
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| Fumio Gotō<br><br>
| <br />1936
| <br />1936
|
| —
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| Kōki Hirota<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1936
| class=nowrap | <br />1937
|
| —
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
| class=nowrap | 32. Hirota
|
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| rowspan=2 | alt=|80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Senjūrō Hayashi<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1937
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1937
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 33. Hayashi
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| 1937
|-
| rowspan=1 bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Fumimaro Konoe<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1937
| class=nowrap | <br />1939
|
| —
| rowspan=1 bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
| class=nowrap | 34. Konoe I
|
|-
| rowspan=1 bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| <br />Kiichirō Hiranuma<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1939
| class=nowrap | <br />1939
|
| —
| rowspan=1 bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
| class=nowrap | 35. Hiranuma
|
|-
| bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| 80px|photograph
| Nobuyuki Abe<br /><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1939
| class=nowrap | <br />1940
|
| —
| bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| class=nowrap | 36. N. Abe
|
|-
| bgcolor="#C3B091"|
| 80px|photograph
| Mitsumasa Yonai<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1940
| class=nowrap | <br />1940
|
| —
| bgcolor="#C3B091"| Military<br>
| class=nowrap | 37. Yonai
|
|-
| rowspan=1 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=3 | 80px
| rowspan=3 | <br />Fumimaro Konoe<br><br>
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1940
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1941
| rowspan=3 |
| rowspan=3 | —
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 38. Konoe II
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#FFA7A7"| Taisei Yokusankai
|-
| class=nowrap | 39. Konoe III
|
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| Hideki Tojo<br><br>
| <br />1941
| <br />1944
|
| 1942
| bgcolor="#FFA7A7"| Taisei Yokusankai
| 40. Tōjō
|
|-
| rowspan=1 bgcolor=""|
| 80px|photograph
| Kuniaki Koiso<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1944
| class=nowrap | <br />1945
|
| —
| bgcolor="#FFA7A7"| Taisei Yokusankai
| class=nowrap | 41. Koiso
|
|- style="height:10ex"
| rowspan=1 bgcolor=""|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | <br />Kantarō Suzuki<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1945
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1945
| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | —
| bgcolor="#FFA7A7"| Taisei Yokusankai
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 42. K. Suzuki
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
|-
| bgcolor="#BFA63F"|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| <br />Naruhiko Higashikuni<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1945
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1945
|
| —
| bgcolor="#dfd29f"| Imperial Family
| class=nowrap | 43. Higashikuni
|
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| <br />Kijūrō Shidehara<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1945
| class=nowrap | <br />1946
|
| —
| bgcolor="Gainsboro"| Independent
| class=nowrap | 44. Shidehara
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| Shigeru Yoshida<br><br>
| class=nowrap | <br />1946
| class=nowrap | <br />1947
|
| 1946
| bgcolor="#99ead5"| Liberal
| class=nowrap | 45. Yoshida I
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Tetsu Katayama<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1947
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1948
|
| 1947
| bgcolor="#B2CCFF"| Socialist
| class=nowrap | 46. Katayama
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Hitoshi Ashida<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1948
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1948
|
| —
| bgcolor="#f7d499"| Democratic
| class=nowrap | 47. Ashida
|
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=5 | alt=|80px|photograph
| rowspan=5 | Shigeru Yoshida<br><br>
| rowspan=5 class=nowrap | <br />1948
| rowspan=5 class=nowrap | <br />1954
| rowspan=5 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="#B7F0B1"| Democratic Liberal
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 48. Yoshida II
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1949
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 49. Yoshida III
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| rowspan=3 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=3 bgcolor="#b5d8ae"| Liberal
|-
| 1952
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 50. Yoshida IV
|
|-
| 1953
| class=nowrap | 51. Yoshida V
|
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=3 | alt=|80px|photograph
| rowspan=3 | Ichirō Hatoyama<br><br>
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1954
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1956
| rowspan=3 |
| —
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=#ccd890| Japan Democratic
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 52. Hatoyama I. I
|
|-
| 1955
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 53. Hatoyama I. II
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 54. Hatoyama I. III
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Tanzan Ishibashi<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1956
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1957
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 55. Ishibashi
|
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Nobusuke Kishi<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1957
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1960
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 56. Kishi I
|
|-
| 1958
| 57. Kishi II
|
|-
| rowspan=3 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=3 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=3 | Hayato Ikeda<br><br>
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1960
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1964
| rowspan=3 |
| —
| rowspan=3 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 58. Ikeda I
|
|-
| 1960
| class=nowrap | 59. Ikeda II
|
|-
| 1963
| class=nowrap | 60. Ikeda III
|
|-
| rowspan=3 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=3 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=3 | Eisaku Satō<br><br>
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1964
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1972
| rowspan=3 |
| —
| rowspan=3 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 61. Satō I
|
|-
| 1967
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 62. Satō II
|
|-
| 1969
| class=nowrap | 63. Satō III
|
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | alt=|80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Kakuei Tanaka<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1972
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1974
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 64. Tanaka K. I
|
|-
| 1972
| class=nowrap | 65. Tanaka K. II
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| Takeo Miki<br /><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1974
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1976
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 66. Miki
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| Takeo Fukuda<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1976
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1978
|
| 1976
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 67. Fukuda T.
|
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Masayoshi Ōhira<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1978
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1980
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 68. Ōhira I
|
|-
| 1979
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 69. Ōhira II
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Masayoshi Ito<br><br>
| <br />1980
| <br />1980
|
| —
| | Liberal Democratic
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Zenkō Suzuki<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1980
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1982
|
| 1980
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 70. Suzuki Z.
|
|-
| rowspan=3 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=3 | alt=|80px|photograph
| rowspan=3 | Yasuhiro Nakasone<br><br>
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1982
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />1987
| rowspan=3 |
| —
| rowspan=3 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 71. Nakasone I
|
|-
| 1983
| class=nowrap | 72. Nakasone II
|
|-
| 1986
| class=nowrap | 73. Nakasone III
|
|- style="height:10ex" <!-- to enable correct break with change of emperor -->
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | alt=|80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Noboru Takeshita<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1987
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1989
| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | —
| rowspan=2 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 74. Takeshita
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| rowspan=26 style="vertical-align: top;" | Akihito<br />(Heisei)<br />alt=Emperor Akihito|frameless|none|upright=0.4
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| Sōsuke Uno<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1989
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1989
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| 75. Uno
|
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | alt=|80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Toshiki Kaifu<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1989
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1991
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 76. Kaifu I
|
|-
| 1990
| class=nowrap | 77. Kaifu II
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Kiichi Miyazawa<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1991
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1993
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 78. Miyazawa
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Morihiro Hosokawa<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1993
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1994
|
| 1993
| bgcolor="#7ED5E4"| New
| class=nowrap | 79. Hosokawa
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Tsutomu Hata<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1994
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1994
|
| —
| bgcolor="#AFE1FF"| Renewal
| class=nowrap | 80. Hata
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Tomiichi Murayama<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1994
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1996
|
| —
| bgcolor="#B2CCFF"| Socialist
| class=nowrap | 81. Murayama
|
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Ryutaro Hashimoto<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1996
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />1998
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 82. Hashimoto I
|
|-
| 1996
| class=nowrap | 83. Hashimoto II
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| Keizō Obuchi<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />1998
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2000
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 84. Obuchi
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap |
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| Mikio Aoki<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2000
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2000
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Yoshirō Mori<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />2000
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />2001
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 85. Mori I
|
|-
| 2000
| 86. Mori II
|
|-
| rowspan=3 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=3 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=3 | Junichiro Koizumi<br><br>
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />2001
| rowspan=3 class=nowrap | <br />2006
| rowspan=3 |
| —
| rowspan=3 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 87. Koizumi I
|
|-
| 2003
| class=nowrap | 88. Koizumi II
|
|-
| 2005
|class=nowrap | 89. Koizumi III
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Shinzo Abe<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2006
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2007
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 90. Abe S. I
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Yasuo Fukuda<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2007
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2008
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 91. Fukuda Y.
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| Tarō Asō<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2008
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2009
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 92. Asō
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Yukio Hatoyama<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2009
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2010
|
| 2009
| rowspan=1 | Democratic
| class=nowrap | 93. Hatoyama Y.
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| Naoto Kan<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2010
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2011
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Democratic
| class=nowrap | 94. Kan
|
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| alt=|80px|photograph
| Yoshihiko Noda<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2011
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2012
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Democratic
| class=nowrap | 95. Noda
|
|-
| rowspan=4 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=4 | alt=|80px|photograph
| rowspan=4 | Shinzo Abe<br><br>
| rowspan=4 class=nowrap | <br />2012
| rowspan=4 class=nowrap | <br />2020
| rowspan=4 |
| 2012
| rowspan=4 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 96. Abe S. II
|
|-
| 2014
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 97. Abe S. III
|
|- style="height:4ex" <!-- to enable correct break with change of emperor -->
| rowspan=2 | 2017
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | 98. Abe S. IV
| rowspan=2 |
|-
| rowspan=8 style="vertical-align: top;" | Naruhito<br />(Reiwa)<br />alt=Emperor Naruhito|frameless|none|upright=0.4
|-
| rowspan=1 style="background:;"|
| 80px|photograph
| Yoshihide Suga<br><br>
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2020
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | <br />2021
|
| —
| rowspan=1 | Liberal Democratic
| class=nowrap | 99. Suga
|
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Fumio Kishida<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />2021
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />2024
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 100. Kishida I
|
|-
| 2021
| class=nowrap | 101. Kishida II
|
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Shigeru Ishiba<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />2024
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />2025
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 102. Ishiba I
|
|-
| 2024
| class=nowrap | 103. Ishiba II
|
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background:;"|
| rowspan=2 | 80px|photograph
| rowspan=2 | Sanae Takaichi<br><br>
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | <br />2025
| rowspan=2 class=nowrap | Incumbent
| rowspan=2 |
| —
| rowspan=2 | Liberal Democratic
| rowspan=1 class=nowrap | 104. Takaichi I
|
|-
| 2026
| 105. Takaichi II
|
|-
|}
Living former prime ministers
<gallery widths="170" heights="170" class="center" caption="Living former prime ministers showing periods in office with dates of birth and age">
File:20250602 kikoushiki (Yasuo Fukuda 1).jpg|Yasuo Fukuda<br />(2007–2008)<br />
File:Yoshiro Mori 20240309.jpg|Yoshirō Mori<br />(2000–2001)<br />
File:Morihiro Hosokawa (2017).jpg|Morihiro Hosokawa<br />(1993-1994)<br />
File:Tarō Asō in December 2025.jpg|Tarō Asō<br />(2008–2009)<br />
File:Junichiro Koizumi 2010.jpg|Junichiro Koizumi<br />(2001–2006)<br />
File:Naoto Kan 2024-11-17 (3) (cropped).jpg|Naoto Kan<br />(2010–2011)<br />
File:Yukio Hatoyama 20220224 (cropped 2).jpg|Yukio Hatoyama<br />(2009–2010)<br />
File:Prime Minister of Bharat, Shri Narendra Damodardas Modi with the Former Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Yoshihide Suga (Yoshihide Suga).jpg|Yoshihide Suga<br />(2020–2021)<br />
File:20251010 Shigeru Ishiba press conference 9 (cropped).jpg|Shigeru Ishiba<br />(2024–2025)<br />
File:Yoshihiko Noda in January 2026 cropped.jpg|Yoshihiko Noda<br />(2011–2012)<br />
File:Senator Bam Aquino and former Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida at the 2026 Tokyo Conference (Fumio Kishida).jpg|Fumio Kishida<br />(2021–2024)<br />
</gallery>
As of , there are eleven living former Prime Ministers of Japan. The most recent death of a former prime minister was that of Tomiichi Murayama (1994–1996) on 17 October 2025. He died at age 101, having become a centenarian on 3 March 2024.
Timeline
Relations between Japanese prime ministers
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left; font-size: 100%;"
|-
!Relations!!Japanese prime ministers
|-
| brothers ||1. Nobusuke Kishi (older) and Eisaku Satō (younger)
|-
| grandfathers and grandsons ||2. Fumimaro Konoe and Morihiro Hosokawa<br>3. Nobusuke Kishi and Shinzo Abe<br>4. Shigeru Yoshida and Tarō Asō<br>5. Ichirō Hatoyama and Yukio Hatoyama
|-
| great-uncle and great-nephew ||6. Eisaku Satō and Shinzo Abe
|-
| father and son ||7. Takeo Fukuda and Yasuo Fukuda
|-
| father-in-law and son-in-law ||8. Zenkō Suzuki and Tarō Asō
|}
See also
- Deputy Prime Minister of Japan
- List of Japanese cabinets
- List of prime ministers of Japan by education
- List of prime ministers of Japan by home prefecture
- List of prime ministers of Japan by time in office
Notes
References
External links
- Previous Prime Ministers | Prime Minister's Office of Japan