List of prime ministers of Japan
This is a list of Prime Ministers of Japan, including those of the Empire of Japan, from when the first Japanese prime minister (in the modern sense), Hirobumi Itō, took office in 1885, until the present day. The office is currently held by Yukio Hatoyama.
Multiple terms in office, consecutive or otherwise, are listed and counted in the first column (administration number) and the second column counts individuals. For example, Yasuo Fukuda, is listed as the 58th individual to hold the office of prime minister, whilst his first cabinet is the 91st since Hirobumi Itō.
To avoid confusion, all the names on this list follow the Western convention (given name first, family name second) for consistency.
| Color key (for political party) |
Prime Ministers of the Empire of Japan
Meiji period (1868-1912)
Prime Ministers under the Meiji Emperor
| A# | I# | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Electoral mandates |
Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rōmaji | Kanji | Took Office | Left Office | |||||
| 1 | 1 | 
|
Hirobumi Itō (1st term) |
伊藤 博文 | 22 December 1885 | 30 April 1888 | — | None |
| 2 | 2 | 
|
Kiyotaka Kuroda | 黒田 清隆 | 30 April 1888 | 25 October 1889[1] | — | None |
| - | - | 
|
Sanetomi Sanjō[2] (stopgap Cabinet) |
三條 實美 | 25 October 1889 | 24 December 1889 | — | None |
| 3 | 3 | 
|
Aritomo Yamagata (1st term) |
山縣 有朋 | 24 December 1889 | 6 May 1891 | 1890 | None |
| 4 | 4 | 
|
Masayoshi Matsukata (1st term) |
松方 正義 | 6 May 1891 | 8 August 1892 | 1892 | None |
| 5 | - |
|
Hirobumi Itō (2nd term) |
伊藤 博文 | 8 August 1892 | 31 August 1896[3] | Mar. 1894 Sept. 1894 |
None |
| During this interval, Privy Council Chairman Kiyotaka Kuroda (黒田 清隆) was the Acting Prime Minister. | ||||||||
| 6 | - |
|
Masayoshi Matsukata (2nd term) |
松方 正義 | 18 September 1896 | 12 January 1898 | — | None |
| 7 | - |
|
Hirobumi Itō (3rd term) |
伊藤 博文 | 12 January 1898 | 30 June 1898 | Mar. 1898 | None |
| 8 | 5 | 
|
Shigenobu Ōkuma (1st term) |
大隈 重信 | 30 June 1898 | 8 November 1898 | Sept. 1898 | Kenseitō (Constitutional Party) |
| 9 | - |
|
Aritomo Yamagata (2nd term) |
山縣 有朋 | 8 November 1898 | 19 October 1900 | — | None |
| 10 | - |
|
Hirobumi Itō (4th term) |
伊藤 博文 | 19 October 1900 | 10 May 1901[3] | — | Rikken Seiyūkai (Friends of Constitutional Government) |
| During this interval, Privy Council Chairman Kinmochi Saionji (西園寺 公望) was the Acting Prime Minister. | ||||||||
| 11 | 6 | 
|
Tarō Katsura (1st term) |
桂 太郎 | 2 June 1901 | 7 January 1906 | 1902 1903 1904 |
None (Retired General) |
| 12 | 7 | 
|
Kinmochi Saionji (1st term) |
西園寺 公望 | 7 January 1906 | 14 July 1908 | 1908 | Rikken Seiyūkai (Friends of Constitutional Government) |
| 13 | - |
|
Tarō Katsura (2nd term) |
桂 太郎 | 14 July 1908 | 30 August 1911 | — | None (Retired General) |
| 14 | - |
|
Kinmochi Saionji (2nd term) |
西園寺 公望 | 30 August 1911 | 21 December 1912 | 1912 | Rikken Seiyūkai (Friends of Constitutional Government) |
Taishō period (1912-1926)
Prime Ministers under the Taishō Emperor
| A# | I# | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Electoral mandates |
Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rōmaji | Kanji | Took Office | Left Office | |||||
| 15 | - |
|
Tarō Katsura (3rd term) |
桂 太郎 | 21 December 1912 | 20 February 1913 | — | None (Retired General) |
| 16 | 8 | 
|
Gonbee Yamamoto (1st term) |
山本 權兵衞 | 20 February 1913 | 16 April 1914 | — | Military (Navy) |
| 17 | - |
|
Shigenobu Ōkuma (2nd term) |
大隈 重信 | 16 April 1914 | 9 October 1916 | 1915 | Rikken Dōshikai (Constitutional Association of Friends) |
| 18 | 9 | 
|
Masatake Terauchi | 寺內 正毅 | 9 October 1916 | 29 September 1918 | 1917 | Military (Army) |
| 19 | 10 | 
|
Takashi Hara | 原 敬 | 29 September 1918 | 4 November 1921[4] | 1920 | Rikken Seiyūkai (Friends of Constitutional Government) |
| During this interval, Foreign Minister Yasuya Uchida (内田 康哉) was the Acting Prime Minister. | ||||||||
| 20 | 11 | 
|
Korekiyo Takahashi | 高橋 是清 | 13 November 1921 | 12 June 1922 | — | Rikken Seiyūkai (Friends of Constitutional Government) |
| 21 | 12 | 
|
Tomosaburō Katō | 加藤 友三郎 | 12 June 1922 | 24 August 1923[5] | — | Military (Navy) |
| During this interval, Foreign Minister Yasuya Uchida (内田 康哉) was the Acting Prime Minister. | ||||||||
| 22 | - |
|
Gonbee Yamamoto (2nd term) |
山本 權兵衞 | 2 September 1923 | 7 January 1924 | — | Military (Navy) |
| 23 | 13 | 
|
Keigo Kiyoura | 清浦 奎吾 | 7 January 1924 | 11 June 1924 | 1924 | None |
| 24 | 14 | 
|
Takaaki Katō | 加藤 高明 | 11 June 1924 | 2 August 1925[6] | — | Kenseikai (Constitutional Party) |
| 2 August 1925 | 28 January 1926[5] | — | Kenseikai (Constitutional Party) | |||||
| During this interval, Interior Minister Reijirō Wakatsuki (若槻 禮次郎) was the Acting Prime Minister. | ||||||||
| 25 | 15 | 
|
Reijirō Wakatsuki (1st term) |
若槻 禮次郎 | 30 January 1926 | 20 April 1927 | — | Kenseikai (Constitutional Party) |
Shōwa period (1926-1947)
Prime Ministers under the Shōwa Emperor
| A# | I# | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Electoral mandates |
Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rōmaji | Kanji | Took Office | Left Office | ||||||
| 26 | 16 | 
|
Giichi Tanaka | 田中 義一 | 20 April 1927 | 2 July 1929 | 1928 | Rikken Seiyūkai (Friends of Constitutional Government) | |
| 27 | 17 | 
|
Osachi Hamaguchi | 濱口 雄幸 | 2 July 1929 | 14 April 1931[7] | 1930 | Rikken Minseitō (Constitutional Democratic Party) | |
| 28 | - |
|
Reijirō Wakatsuki (2nd term) |
若槻 禮次郎 | 14 April 1931 | 13 December 1931 | — | Rikken Minseitō (Constitutional Democratic Party) | |
| 29 | 18 | 
|
Tsuyoshi Inukai | 犬養 毅 | 13 December 1931 | 16 May 1932[4] | 1932 | Rikken Seiyūkai (Friends of Constitutional Government) | |
| During this interval, Finance Minister Korekiyo Takahashi (高橋 是清) was the Acting Prime Minister. | |||||||||
| 30 | 19 | 
|
Makoto Saitō | 齋藤 實 | 26 May 1932 | 8 July 1934 | — | Military (Navy) | |
| 31 | 20 | 
|
Keisuke Okada | 岡田 啓介 | 8 July 1934 | 9 March 1936[8] | 1936 | Military (Navy) | |
| 32 | 21 | 
|
Kōki Hirota | 廣田 弘毅 | 9 March 1936 | 2 February 1937 | — | None | |
| 33 | 22 | 
|
Senjūrō Hayashi | 林 銑十郎 | 2 February 1937 | 4 June 1937 | 1937 | Military (Army) | |
| 34 | 23 | 
|
Fumimaro Konoe (1st term) |
近衞 文麿 | 4 June 1937 | 5 January 1939 | — | None | |
| 35 | 24 | 
|
Kiichirō Hiranuma | 平沼 騏一郎 | 5 January 1939 | 30 August 1939 | — | None | |
| 36 | 25 | 
|
Nobuyuki Abe | 阿部 信行 | 30 August 1939 | 16 January 1940 | — | Military (Army) | |
| 37 | 26 | 
|
Mitsumasa Yonai | 米内 光政 | 16 January 1940 | 22 July 1940 | — | Military (Navy) | |
| 38 | - |
|
Fumimaro Konoe (2nd term) |
近衞 文麿 | 22 July 1940 | 18 July 1941 | — | Taisei Yokusankai (Imperial Rule Assistance Association) | |
| 39 | (3rd term) | 18 July 1941 | 18 October 1941 | — | Taisei Yokusankai (Imperial Rule Assistance Association) | ||||
| 40 | 27 | 
|
Hideki Tōjō | 東條 英機 | 18 October 1941 | 22 July 1944 | 1942 | Military (Army) | |
| 41 | 28 | 
|
Kuniaki Koiso | 小磯 國昭 | 22 July 1944 | 7 April 1945 | — | Military (Army) | |
| 42 | 29 | 
|
Kantarō Suzuki | 鈴木 貫太郎 | 7 April 1945 | 17 August 1945 | — | Military (Navy) Chamberlain | |
| 43 | 30 | 
|
HIH Prince Naruhiko of Higashikuni |
東久邇宮 稔彦王 |
17 August 1945 | 9 October 1945 | — | The Imperial Family | |
| 44 | 31 | 
|
Kijūrō Shidehara | 幣原 喜重郎 | 9 October 1945 | 22 May 1946 | 1946 | None | |
| 45 | 32 | 
|
Shigeru Yoshida (1st term) |
吉田 茂 | 22 May 1946 | 24 May 1947 | Rep. | Coun. | Liberal |
| 1947 | 1947 | ||||||||
Prime Ministers of Japan
Shōwa period (1947-1989)
Prime Ministers under the Shōwa Emperor
| A# | I# | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Electoral mandates | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rōmaji | Kanji | Took Office | Left Office | Rep. | Coun. | ||||
| 46 | 33 | 
|
Tetsu Katayama | 片山 哲 | 24 May 1947 | 10 March 1948 | — | — | Socialist |
| 47 | 34 | 
|
Hitoshi Ashida | 芦田 均 | 10 March 1948 | 15 October 1948 | — | — | Democratic |
| 48 | - |
|
Shigeru Yoshida (2nd term) |
吉田 茂 | 15 October 1948 | 16 February 1949 | 1949 | — | Liberal |
| 49 | (3rd term) | 16 February 1949 | 30 October 1952 | 1952 | 1950 | Liberal | |||
| 50 | (4th term) | 30 October 1952 | 21 May 1953 | 1953 | — | Liberal | |||
| 51 | (5th term) | 21 May 1953 | 10 December 1954 | — | 1953 | Liberal | |||
| 52 | 35 | 
|
Ichirō Hatoyama (1st term) |
鳩山 一郎 | 10 December 1954 | 19 March 1955 | 1955 | — | Japan Democratic |
| 53 | (2nd term) | 19 March 1955 | 22 November 1955 | — | — | Japan Democratic | |||
| 54 | (3rd term) | 22 November 1955 | 23 December 1956 | — | 1956 | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 55 | 36 | 
|
Tanzan Ishibashi | 石橋 湛山 | 23 December 1956 | 25 February 1957[9] | — | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 56 | 37 | File:Nobusuke Kishi 1956.jpg | Nobusuke Kishi (1st term) |
岸 信介 | 25 February 1957 | 12 June 1958 | 1958 | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 57 | (2nd term) | 12 June 1958 | 19 July 1960 | — | 1959 | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 58 | 38 | File:Hayato Ikeda 1956.jpg | Hayato Ikeda (1st term) |
池田 勇人 | 19 July 1960 | 8 December 1960 | 1960 | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 59 | (2nd term) | 8 December 1960 | 9 December 1963 | 1963 | 1962 | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 60 | (3rd term) | 9 December 1963 | 9 November 1964 | — | — | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 61 | 39 | 
|
Eisaku Satō (1st term) |
佐藤 榮作 | 9 November 1964 | 17 February 1967 | 1967 | 1965 | Liberal Democratic |
| 62 | (2nd term) | 17 February 1967 | 14 January 1970 | 1969 | 1968 | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 63 | (3rd term) | 14 January 1970 | 7 July 1972 | — | 1971 | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 64 | 40 | 
|
Kakuei Tanaka (1st term) |
田中 角榮 | 7 July 1972 | 22 December 1972 | 1972 | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 65 | (2nd term) | 22 December 1972 | 9 December 1974 | — | 1974 | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 66 | 41 | 
|
Takeo Miki | 三木 武夫 | 9 December 1974 | 24 December 1976 | 1976 | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 67 | 42 | 
|
Takeo Fukuda | 福田 赳夫 | 24 December 1976 | 7 December 1978 | — | 1977 | Liberal Democratic |
| 68 | 43 | 
|
Masayoshi Ōhira (1st term) |
大平 正芳 | 7 December 1978 | 9 November 1979 | 1979 | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 69 | (2nd term) | 9 November 1979 | 12 June 1980[5] | 1980[5] | 1980[5] | Liberal Democratic | |||
| During this interval, Chief Cabinet Secretary Masayoshi Itō (伊東 正義) was the Acting Prime Minister. | |||||||||
| 70 | 44 | 
|
Zenkō Suzuki | 鈴木 善幸 | 17 July 1980 | 27 November 1982 | — | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 71 | 45 | 
|
Yasuhiro Nakasone (1st term) |
中曾根 康弘 | 27 November 1982 | 27 December 1983 | 1983 | 1983 | Liberal Democratic |
| 72 | (2nd term) | 27 December 1983 | 22 July 1986 | 1986 | 1986 | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 73 | (3rd term) | 22 July 1986 | 6 November 1987 | — | — | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 74 | 46 | 
|
Noboru Takeshita | 竹下 登 | 6 November 1987 | 3 June 1989 | — | — | Liberal Democratic |
Heisei period (1989-present)
Prime Ministers under Emperor Akihito
| A# | I# | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Electoral mandates | Political Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rōmaji | Kanji | Took Office | Left Office | Rep. | Coun. | ||||
| 75 | 47 | File:Sosuke Uno.jpg | Sōsuke Uno | 宇野 宗佑 | 3 June 1989 | 10 August 1989 | — | 1989 | Liberal Democratic |
| 76 | 48 | 
|
Toshiki Kaifu (1st term) |
海部 俊樹 | 10 August 1989 | 28 February 1990 | 1990 | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 77 | (2nd term) | 28 February 1990 | 5 November 1991 | — | — | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 78 | 49 | File:MiyazawaKiichi.jpg | Kiichi Miyazawa | 宮澤 喜一 | 5 November 1991 | 9 August 1993 | 1993 | 1992 | Liberal Democratic |
| 79 | 50 | 
|
Morihiro Hosokawa | 細川 護熙 | 9 August 1993 | 28 April 1994 | — | — | Japan New |
| 80 | 51 |
|
Tsutomu Hata | 羽田 孜 | 28 April 1994 | 30 June 1994 | — | — | Renewal |
| 81 | 52 | 
|
Tomiichi Murayama | 村山 富市 | 30 June 1994 | 11 January 1996 | — | 1995 | Socialist |
| 82 | 53 | 
|
Ryūtarō Hashimoto (1st term) |
橋本 龍太郎 | 11 January 1996 | 7 November 1996 | 1996 | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 83 | (2nd term) | 7 November 1996 | 30 July 1998 | — | 1998 | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 84 | 54 | 
|
Keizō Obuchi | 小渕 恵三 | 30 July 1998 | 5 April 2000[10] | — | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 85 | 55 | 
|
Yoshirō Mori (1st term) |
森 喜朗 | 5 April 2000 | 4 July 2000 | 2000 | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 86 | (2nd term) | 4 July 2000 | 26 April 2001 | — | — | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 87 | 56 | 
|
Junichirō Koizumi (1st term) |
小泉 純一郎 | 26 April 2001 | 19 November 2003 | 2003 | 2001 | Liberal Democratic |
| 88 | (2nd term) | 19 November 2003 | 21 September 2005 | 2005 | 2004 | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 89 | (3rd term) | 21 September 2005 | 26 September 2006 | — | — | Liberal Democratic | |||
| 90 | 57 | 
|
Shinzō Abe | 安倍 晋三 | 26 September 2006 | 26 September 2007 | — | 2007 | Liberal Democratic |
| 91 | 58 | 
|
Yasuo Fukuda | 福田 康夫 | 26 September 2007 | 24 September 2008 | — | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 92 | 59 | .jpg)
|
Taro Aso | 麻生 太郎 | 24 September 2008 | 16 September 2009 | 2009 | — | Liberal Democratic |
| 93 | 60 | .jpg)
|
Yukio Hatoyama | 鳩山 由紀夫 | 16 September 2009 | Incumbent | — | — | Democratic |
Notes and references
- ^ Upon the resignation of the government, the Emperor only accepted Kuroda’s resignation and invited Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Sanetomi Sanjō to head the government for two more months. Today, however, Sanjō’s government is generally regarded as a continuation of Kuroda’s.
- ^ Held concurrently by the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal.
- ^ a b Resigned.
- ^ a b Assassinated.
- ^ a b c d e Died in office of natural causes. Cite error: The named reference "death" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Resigned after the “Grand Coalition of the Three Pro-Constitution Parties” collapsed. Katō was then reinvited by the Prince Regent to form a new government with his own party, Kenseitō. Today, however, his second term is generally regarded as continuation of his first.
- ^ Incapacitated due to serious wound from assassination plot on 14 November 1930. Foreign Minister Kijūrō Shidehara served as Deputy Prime Minister until Hamaguchi’s return to the office on 10 March 1931.
- ^ Thought to be killed by renegade soldiers during the February 26 Incident. Interior Minister Fumio Gotō served as Deputy Prime Minister until Okada was found alive on 28 February 1936.
- ^ Incapacitated due to minor stroke on 31 January 1957. Foreign Minister Nobusuke Kishi served as Deputy Prime Minister until 25 February 1957.
- ^ Incapacitated due to massive stroke on 3 April 2000. Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki served as Deputy Prime Minister until 5 April 2000.