Prime Minister of Japan

The Prime Minister of Japan (総理大臣) is the head of government of Japan. Since World War II, office has appointed by the Japanese Diet and by convention is the leader of the majority party which has usually been the Liberal Democratic Party.

To be precise, according to the Constitution, the emperor appointed the Prime Minister among members of the Diet regarding the advice from the Japanese Diet.

Because of the factionized and consensus nature of Japanese politics, the Prime Minister has very little power. His position as President of the majority party involves negoiation with party faction leaders, and legislation is usually initiated and reviewed by party committees rather than by the cabinet. Furthermore, substantial power is actually wielded by the Japanese civil service[?] over which the Prime minister has little control.

Prime Ministers of Japan

Historical list of individuals. Multiple terms in office, consecutive or otherwise, are listed but not counted. e.g. While Koizumi Junichiro is the listed as the 56th individual to hold this position, his administration is the 87th since Ito Hirobumi.

• Ito Hirobumi (r. 1885-1888, 1892-1896, 1898, 1900-1901)
  
• Kuroda Kiyotaka (r. 1888-1889)
  
• Yamagata Aritomo (r. 1889-1891, 1898-1900)
  
• Matsukata Masayoshi (r. 1896-1898)
  
• Okuma Shigenobu (r. 1898, 1914-1916)
  
• Katsura Taro (r. 1901-1906, 1908-1911)
  
• Saionji Kimmochi (r. 1906-1908, 1911-1912)
  
• Yamamoto Gonnohyoe (r. 1913-1914, 1923-1924)
  
• Terauchi Masatake (r. 1916-1918)
  
• Hara Takashi (r. 1918-1921)
  
• Takahashi Korekiyo (r. 1921-1922)
  
• Kato Tomosaburo (r. 1922-1923)
  
• Kiyoura Keigo (r. 1924)
  
• Kato Takaaki (r. 1924-1926)
  
• Wakatsuki Reijiro (r. 1926-1927, 1931)
  
• Tanaka Giichi (r. 1927-1929)
  
• Hamaguchi Osachi (r. 1929-1931)
  
• Inukai Tsuyoshi (r. 1931-1932)
  
• Saito Makoto (r. 1932-1934)
  
• Okada Keisuke (r. 1934-1936)
  
• Hirota Koki (r. 1936-1937)
  
• Hayashi Senjuro (r. 1937)
  
• Konoe Fumimaro (r. 1937-1939, 1940-1941)
  
• Hiranuma Kiichiro (r. 1939)
  
• Abe Nobuyuki (r. 1939-1940)
  
• Yonai Mitsumasa (r. 1940)
  
• Tojo Hideki (r. 1941-1944)
  
• Koiso Kuniaki (r. 1944-1945)
  
• Suzuki Kantaro (r. 1945)
  
• Higashikuni Naruhiko (r. 1945)
  
• Shidehara Kijuro (r. 1945-1946)
  
• Yoshida Shigeru (r. 1946-1947, 1948-1954)
  
• Katayama Tetsu (r. 1947-1948)
  
• Ashida Hitoshi (r. 1948)
  
• Hatoyama Ichiro (r. 1954-1956)
  
• Ishibashi Tanzan (r. 1956-1957)
  
• Kishi Nobusuke (r. 1957-1960)
  
• Ikeda Hayato (r. 1960-1964)
  
• Sato Eisaku (r. 1964-1972)
  
• Tanaka Kakuei (r. 1972-1974)
  
• Miki Takeo (r. 1974-1976)
  
• Fukuda Takeo (r. 1976-1978)
  
• Ohira Masayoshi (r. 1978-1980)
  
• Suzuki Zenko (r. 1980-1982)
  
• Nakasone Yasuhiro (r. 1982-1987)
  
• Takeshita Noboru (r. 1987-1989)
  
• Uno Sosuke (r. 1987-1989)
  
• Kaifu Toshiki (r. 1989 - 1991)
  
• Miyazawa Kiichi (r. 1991-1993)
  
• Hosokawa Morihiro (r. 1993-1994)
  
• Hata Tsutomu (r. 1994-1994)
  
• Murayama Tomiichi[?] (r. 1994-1996)
  
• Hashimoto Ryutaro[?] (r. 1996-1998)
  
• Obuchi Keizo[?] (r. 1998-2000)
  
• Mori Yoshiro[?] (r. 2000-2001)
  
• Koizumi Junichiro (r. 2001-?)
  

See also: shogun -- bakufu -- Cloistered rule -- History of Japan -- Lists of incumbents