List of prime ministers of Japan by time in office

This is a list of prime ministers of Japan by time in office.

Notable lengths

Japan's three longest-serving prime ministers and three shortest-serving prime ministers, left to right:
Shinzo Abe, 8 years, 267 days; Katsura Tarō, 7 years, 330 days; and Eisaku Satō, 7 years, 242 days.
Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni, 54 days; Tsutomu Hata, 64 days; and Tanzan Ishibashi, 65 days.

Of the 64 past prime ministers, six served more than 5 years while twenty served less than a year. Itō Hirobumi became the first Japanese prime minister in 1885 and is the only person to have served on four separate occasions. Shinzo Abe is the longest-serving prime minister with over eight years on two separate occasions, while Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni is the shortest-serving at eight weeks. Katsura Tarō was the longest-serving prime minister in the Imperial period (1885–1947) and the only person to have served on three separate occasions.

List of office holders by tenure

Rank Prime Minister Party Start End Tenure length
(term)		 Tenure length
(total)		 Reason for exit Ref.
1 Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe Liberal Democratic 26 September 2006 26 September 2007 1 year, 1 day 8 years, 267 days Resigned due to illness [1]
26 December 2012 16 September 2020 7 years, 266 days Resigned due to illness
2 Katsura Tarō Katsura Tarō Military (Army) 2 June 1901 7 January 1906 4 years, 220 days 7 years, 330 days Resigned [1]
14 July 1908 30 August 1911 3 years, 48 days Resigned
Independent 21 December 1912 20 February 1913 62 days Resigned
3 Eisaku Satō Eisaku Satō Liberal Democratic 9 November 1964 7 July 1972 7 years, 242 days Resigned [1]
4 Itō Hirobumi Itō Hirobumi Independent 22 December 1885 30 April 1888 2 years, 131 days 7 years, 164 days Resigned [1]
8 August 1892 31 August 1896 4 years, 24 days Resigned
12 January 1898 30 June 1898 170 days Resigned
Rikken Seiyūkai 19 October 1900 10 May 1901 204 days Resigned
5 Shigeru Yoshida Shigeru Yoshida Liberal 22 May 1946 24 May 1947 1 year, 3 days 7 years, 60 days Defeated in election [1]
Democratic Liberal 15 October 1948 10 December 1954 6 years, 57 days Resigned
Liberal
6 Junichiro Koizumi Junichiro Koizumi Liberal Democratic 26 April 2001 26 September 2006 5 years, 154 days Resigned [1]
7 Yasuhiro Nakasone Yasuhiro Nakasone Liberal Democratic 27 November 1982 6 November 1987 4 years, 345 days Resigned [1]
8 Hayato Ikeda Hayato Ikeda Liberal Democratic 19 July 1960 9 November 1964 4 years, 114 days Resigned due to illness [1]
9 Saionji Kinmochi Saionji Kinmochi Rikken Seiyūkai 7 January 1906 14 July 1908 2 years, 190 days 3 years, 304 days Resigned [1]
30 August 1911 21 December 1912 1 year, 114 days Resigned
10 Nobusuke Kishi Nobusuke Kishi Liberal Democratic 31 January 1957 19 July 1960 3 years, 171 days Resigned [1]
11 Yamagata Aritomo Yamagata Aritomo Military (Army) 24 December 1889 6 May 1891 1 year, 134 days 3 years, 115 days Resigned [1]
8 November 1898 19 October 1900 1 year, 346 days Resigned
12 Hara Takashi Hara Takashi Rikken Seiyūkai 29 September 1918 4 November 1921 3 years, 37 days Assassinated [1]
13 Fumio Kishida Fumio Kishida Liberal Democratic 4 October 2021 1 October 2024 2 years, 364 days Resigned [1][2]
14 Ōkuma Shigenobu Ōkuma Shigenobu Kenseitō 30 June 1898 8 November 1898 132 days 2 years, 309 days Resigned [1]
Rikken Dōshikai 16 April 1914 9 October 1916 2 years, 177 days Resigned
15 Fumimaro Konoe Fumimaro Konoe Independent 4 June 1937 5 January 1939 1 year, 216 days 2 years, 305 days Resigned [1]
Independent 16 July 1940 18 October 1941 1 year, 95 days Resigned
Imperial Rule Assistance Association
16 Hideki Tojo Hideki Tojo Imperial Rule Assistance Association 18 October 1941 22 July 1944 2 years, 279 days Resigned [1]
17 Matsukata Masayoshi Matsukata Masayoshi Independent 6 May 1891 8 August 1892 1 year, 95 days 2 years, 212 days Resigned [1]
18 September 1896 12 January 1898 1 year, 117 days Resigned
18 Ryutaro Hashimoto Ryutaro Hashimoto Liberal Democratic 11 January 1996 30 July 1998 2 years, 201 days Resigned [1]
19 Kakuei Tanaka Kakuei Tanaka Liberal Democratic 7 July 1972 9 December 1974 2 years, 156 days Resigned [1]
20 Zenkō Suzuki Zenkō Suzuki Liberal Democratic 17 July 1980 27 November 1982 2 years, 134 days Resigned [1]
21 Toshiki Kaifu Toshiki Kaifu Liberal Democratic 10 August 1989 5 November 1991 2 years, 88 days Resigned [1]
22 Tanaka Giichi Tanaka Giichi Rikken Seiyūkai 20 April 1927 2 July 1929 2 years, 74 days Resigned [1]
23 Saitō Makoto Saitō Makoto Military (Navy) 26 May 1932 8 July 1934 2 years, 44 days Resigned [1]
24 Takeo Miki Takeo Miki Liberal Democratic 9 December 1974 24 December 1976 2 years, 16 days Lack of majority after election [1]
25 Ichirō Hatoyama Ichirō Hatoyama Japan Democratic 10 December 1954 23 December 1956 2 years, 14 days Resigned [1]
Liberal Democratic
26 Terauchi Masatake Terauchi Masatake Military (Army) 9 October 1916 29 September 1918 1 year, 356 days Resigned [1]
27 Takeo Fukuda Takeo Fukuda Liberal Democratic 24 December 1976 7 December 1978 1 year, 349 days Resigned [1]
28 Wakatsuki Reijirō Wakatsuki Reijirō Kenseikai 30 January 1926 20 April 1927 1 year, 81 days 1 year, 325 days Resigned [1]
Rikken Minseitō 14 April 1931 13 December 1931 244 days Resigned
29 Hamaguchi Osachi Hamaguchi Osachi Rikken Minseitō 2 July 1929 14 April 1931 1 year, 287 days Resigned due to injury [1]
30 Kiichi Miyazawa Kiichi Miyazawa Liberal Democratic 5 November 1991 9 August 1993 1 year, 278 days Lack of majority after election [1]
31 Keizō Obuchi Keizō Obuchi Liberal Democratic 30 July 1998 5 April 2000 1 year, 251 days Resigned due to illness [1]
32 Keisuke Okada Keisuke Okada Military (Navy) 8 July 1934 9 March 1936 1 year, 246 days Resigned [1]
33 Katō Takaaki Katō Takaaki Kenseikai 11 June 1924 28 January 1926 1 year, 232 days Died [1]
34 Noboru Takeshita Noboru Takeshita Liberal Democratic 6 November 1987 3 June 1989 1 year, 210 days Resigned [1]
35 Tomiichi Murayama Tomiichi Murayama Socialist 30 June 1994 11 January 1996 1 year, 196 days Resigned [1]
36 Masayoshi Ōhira Masayoshi Ōhira Liberal Democratic 7 December 1978 12 June 1980 1 year, 189 days Died [1]
37 Yamamoto Gonnohyōe Yamamoto Gonnohyōe Military (Navy) 20 February 1913 16 April 1914 1 year, 56 days 1 year, 184 days Resigned [1]
2 September 1923 7 January 1924 128 days Resigned
38 Kuroda Kiyotaka Kuroda Kiyotaka Military (Army) 30 April 1888 25 October 1889 1 year, 179 days Resigned [1]
39 Yoshihiko Noda Yoshihiko Noda Democratic 2 September 2011 26 December 2012 1 year, 116 days Defeated in election [1]
40 Naoto Kan Naoto Kan Democratic 8 June 2010 2 September 2011 1 year, 87 days Resigned [1]
41 Katō Tomosaburō Katō Tomosaburō Military (Navy) 12 June 1922 24 August 1923 1 year, 74 days Died [1]
42 Yoshirō Mori Yoshirō Mori Liberal Democratic 5 April 2000 26 April 2001 1 year, 22 days Resigned [1]
43 Yoshihide Suga Yoshihide Suga Liberal Democratic 16 September 2020 4 October 2021 1 year, 19 days Resigned [1]
44 Yasuo Fukuda Yasuo Fukuda Liberal Democratic 26 September 2007 24 September 2008 365 days Resigned [1]
45 Tarō Asō Tarō Asō Liberal Democratic 24 September 2008 16 September 2009 358 days Defeated in election [1]
46 Kōki Hirota Kōki Hirota Independent 9 March 1936 2 February 1937 331 days Resigned [1]
47 Shigeru Ishiba Shigeru Ishiba Liberal Democratic 1 October 2024 Incumbent 324 days[a] Incumbent
48 Tetsu Katayama Tetsu Katayama Socialist 24 May 1947 10 March 1948 292 days Resigned [1]
49 Yukio Hatoyama Yukio Hatoyama Democratic 16 September 2009 8 June 2010 266 days Resigned [1]
50 Morihiro Hosokawa Morihiro Hosokawa New 9 August 1993 28 April 1994 263 days Resigned [1]
51 Kuniaki Koiso Kuniaki Koiso Imperial Rule Assistance Association 22 July 1944 7 April 1945 260 days Resigned [1]
52 Hiranuma Kiichirō Hiranuma Kiichirō Independent 5 January 1939 30 August 1939 238 days Resigned [1]
53 Kijūrō Shidehara Kijūrō Shidehara Independent 9 October 1945 22 May 1946 226 days Defeated in election [1]
54 Hitoshi Ashida Hitoshi Ashida Democratic 10 March 1948 15 October 1948 220 days Resigned [1]
55 Takahashi Korekiyo Takahashi Korekiyo Rikken Seiyūkai 13 November 1921 12 June 1922 212 days Resigned [1]
56 Mitsumasa Yonai Mitsumasa Yonai Military (Navy) 16 January 1940 22 July 1940 189 days Resigned [1]
57 Kiyoura Keigo Kiyoura Keigo Independent 7 January 1924 11 June 1924 157 days Defeated in election [1]
58 Inukai Tsuyoshi Inukai Tsuyoshi Rikken Seiyūkai 13 December 1931 15 May 1932 155 days Assassinated [1]
59 Nobuyuki Abe Nobuyuki Abe Military (Army) 30 August 1939 16 January 1940 140 days Resigned [1]
60 Kantarō Suzuki Kantarō Suzuki Imperial Rule Assistance Association 7 April 1945 17 August 1945 133 days Resigned [1]
Independent
61 Senjūrō Hayashi Senjūrō Hayashi Military (Army) 2 February 1937 4 June 1937 123 days Resigned [1]
62 Sōsuke Uno Sōsuke Uno Liberal Democratic 3 June 1989 10 August 1989 69 days Resigned [1]
63 Tanzan Ishibashi Tanzan Ishibashi Liberal Democratic 23 December 1956 25 February 1957 65 days Resigned due to illness [1]
64 Tsutomu Hata Tsutomu Hata Renewal 28 April 1994 30 June 1994 64 days Resigned [1]
65 Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni Imperial Family 17 August 1945 9 October 1945 54 days Resigned [1]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ As of 21 August 2025

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl "List of Successive Prime Ministers | Prime Minister's Office of Japan". japan.kantei.go.jp. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  2. ^ "The Cabinet". Prime Minister's Office of Japan. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
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