Who is the Prime Minister of Japan?

Sanae Takaichi has been Prime Minister of Japan since Oct 21, 2025.

Who is the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan?

Shinzō Abe, with 3,185 days in office across 4 terms.

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🇯🇵 Japan

Parliamentary constitutional monarchyLiberal democracy

Sanae Takaichi

Prime Minister · 314 days in office

Eligible to run again

How the political system works in Japan

Japanese voters elect a parliament called the Diet, and the Diet picks the prime minister, normally the leader of the biggest party. There is no time limit on the job, but a prime minister can lose it quickly if their party changes leader or loses an election. The emperor is the head of state and has a purely ceremonial role.

Next election: 2028 — Next House of Representatives election must be held by October 2028.

Tenure records

Longest-serving

Shinzō Abe

3,185 days · 4 terms

Shortest-serving

Masayoshi Ito

35 days

Average tenure

477 days

Sanae Takaichi: 34% below average

Recent prime ministers by days in office

Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Japan?

Across 107 completed terms, the average prime minister of Japan has served 477 days (about 1.3 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 288 days. The last leader to beat the average was Shinzō Abe, who left office in 2020.

One completed term Average tenure per decade

All prime ministers of Japan

#	Name	Took office	Left office	Days
108	Sanae Takaichi	Oct 21, 2025	Incumbent	314
107	Shigeru Ishiba	Nov 11, 2024	Oct 21, 2025	344
106	Shigeru Ishiba	Oct 1, 2024	Nov 11, 2024	41
105	Fumio Kishida	Sep 13, 2023	Oct 1, 2024	384
104	Fumio Kishida	Aug 10, 2022	Sep 13, 2023	399
103	Fumio Kishida	Nov 10, 2021	Aug 10, 2022	273
102	Fumio Kishida	Oct 4, 2021	Nov 10, 2021	37
101	Yoshihide Suga	Sep 16, 2020	Oct 4, 2021	383
100	Shinzō Abe	Nov 1, 2017	Sep 16, 2020	1,050
99	Shinzō Abe	Dec 24, 2014	Nov 1, 2017	1,043
98	Shinzō Abe	Dec 26, 2012	Dec 24, 2014	728
97	Yoshihiko Noda	Sep 2, 2011	Dec 26, 2012	481
96	Naoto Kan	Jun 8, 2010	Sep 2, 2011	451
95	Yukio Hatoyama	Sep 16, 2009	Jun 8, 2010	265
94	Tarō Asō	Sep 24, 2008	Sep 16, 2009	357
93	Yasuo Fukuda	Sep 26, 2007	Sep 24, 2008	364
92	Shinzō Abe	Sep 26, 2006	Sep 25, 2007	364
91	Junichiro Koizumi	Sep 21, 2005	Sep 26, 2006	370
90	Junichiro Koizumi	Nov 19, 2003	Sep 21, 2005	672
89	Junichiro Koizumi	Apr 26, 2001	Nov 19, 2003	937
88	Yoshirō Mori	Jul 4, 2000	Apr 26, 2001	296
87	Yoshirō Mori	Apr 5, 2000	Jul 4, 2000	90
86	Keizō Obuchi	Jul 30, 1998	Apr 5, 2000	615
85	Ryutaro Hashimoto	Nov 7, 1996	Jul 30, 1998	630
84	Ryutaro Hashimoto	Jan 11, 1996	Nov 7, 1996	301
83	Tomiichi Murayama	Jun 30, 1994	Jan 11, 1996	560
82	Tsutomu Hata	Apr 28, 1994	Jun 30, 1994	63
81	Morihiro Hosokawa	Aug 9, 1993	Apr 28, 1994	262
80	Kiichi Miyazawa	Nov 5, 1991	Aug 9, 1993	643
79	Toshiki Kaifu	Feb 28, 1990	Nov 5, 1991	615
78	Toshiki Kaifu	Aug 10, 1989	Feb 28, 1990	202
77	Sōsuke Uno	Jun 3, 1989	Aug 10, 1989	68
76	Noboru Takeshita	Nov 6, 1987	Jun 3, 1989	575
75	Yasuhiro Nakasone	Jul 22, 1986	Nov 6, 1987	472
74	Yasuhiro Nakasone	Dec 27, 1983	Jul 22, 1986	938
73	Yasuhiro Nakasone	Nov 27, 1982	Dec 27, 1983	395
72	Zenkō Suzuki	Jul 17, 1980	Nov 27, 1982	863
71	Masayoshi Ito	Jun 12, 1980	Jul 17, 1980	35
70	Masayoshi Ōhira	Nov 9, 1979	Jun 12, 1980	216
69	Masayoshi Ōhira	Dec 7, 1978	Nov 9, 1979	337
68	Takeo Fukuda	Dec 24, 1976	Dec 7, 1978	713
67	Takeo Miki	Dec 9, 1974	Dec 24, 1976	746
66	Kakuei Tanaka	Dec 22, 1972	Dec 9, 1974	717
65	Kakuei Tanaka	Jul 7, 1972	Dec 22, 1972	168
64	Eisaku Satō	Jan 14, 1970	Jul 7, 1972	905
63	Eisaku Satō	Feb 17, 1967	Jan 14, 1970	1,062
62	Eisaku Satō	Nov 9, 1964	Feb 17, 1967	830
61	Hayato Ikeda	Dec 9, 1963	Nov 9, 1964	336
60	Hayato Ikeda	Dec 8, 1960	Dec 9, 1963	1,096
59	Hayato Ikeda	Jul 19, 1960	Dec 8, 1960	142
58	Nobusuke Kishi	Jun 12, 1958	Jul 19, 1960	768
57	Nobusuke Kishi	Feb 25, 1957	Jun 12, 1958	472
56	Tanzan Ishibashi	Dec 23, 1956	Feb 25, 1957	64
55	Ichirō Hatoyama	Nov 22, 1955	Dec 23, 1956	397
54	Ichirō Hatoyama	Mar 19, 1955	Nov 22, 1955	248
53	Ichirō Hatoyama	Dec 10, 1954	Mar 19, 1955	99
52	Shigeru Yoshida	May 21, 1953	Dec 10, 1954	568
51	Shigeru Yoshida	Oct 30, 1952	May 21, 1953	203
50	Shigeru Yoshida	Feb 16, 1949	Oct 30, 1952	1,352
49	Shigeru Yoshida	Oct 15, 1948	Feb 16, 1949	124
48	Hitoshi Ashida	Mar 10, 1948	Oct 15, 1948	219
47	Tetsu Katayama	May 24, 1947	Mar 10, 1948	291
46	Shigeru Yoshida	May 22, 1946	May 24, 1947	367
45	Kijūrō Shidehara	Oct 9, 1945	May 22, 1946	225
44	Naruhiko Higashikuni	Aug 17, 1945	Oct 9, 1945	53
43	Kantarō Suzuki	Apr 7, 1945	Aug 17, 1945	132
42	Kuniaki Koiso	Jul 22, 1944	Apr 7, 1945	259
41	Hideki Tojo	Oct 18, 1941	Jul 22, 1944	1,008
40	Fumimaro Konoe	Jul 18, 1941	Oct 18, 1941	92
39	Fumimaro Konoe	Jul 22, 1940	Jul 18, 1941	361
38	Mitsumasa Yonai	Jan 16, 1940	Jul 22, 1940	188
37	Nobuyuki Abe	Aug 30, 1939	Jan 16, 1940	139
36	Hiranuma Kiichirō	Jan 5, 1939	Aug 30, 1939	237
35	Fumimaro Konoe	Jun 4, 1937	Jan 5, 1939	580
34	Senjūrō Hayashi	Feb 2, 1937	Jun 4, 1937	122
33	Kōki Hirota	Mar 9, 1936	Feb 2, 1937	330
32	Keisuke Okada	Jul 8, 1934	Mar 9, 1936	610
31	Saitō Makoto	May 26, 1932	Jul 8, 1934	773
30	Inukai Tsuyoshi	Dec 13, 1931	May 16, 1932	155
29	Wakatsuki Reijirō	Apr 14, 1931	Dec 13, 1931	243
28	Hamaguchi Osachi	Jul 2, 1929	Apr 14, 1931	651
27	Tanaka Giichi	Apr 20, 1927	Jul 2, 1929	804
26	Wakatsuki Reijirō	Jan 30, 1926	Apr 20, 1927	445
25	Katō Takaaki	Jun 11, 1924	Jan 28, 1926	596
24	Kiyoura Keigo	Jan 7, 1924	Jun 11, 1924	156
23	Yamamoto Gonnohyōe	Sep 2, 1923	Jan 7, 1924	127
22	Katō Tomosaburō	Jun 12, 1922	Aug 24, 1923	438
21	Takahashi Korekiyo	Nov 13, 1921	Jun 12, 1922	211
20	Hara Takashi	Sep 29, 1918	Nov 4, 1921	1,132
19	Terauchi Masatake	Oct 9, 1916	Sep 29, 1918	720
18	Ōkuma Shigenobu	Apr 16, 1914	Oct 9, 1916	907
17	Yamamoto Gonnohyōe	Feb 20, 1913	Apr 16, 1914	420
16	Katsura Tarō	Dec 21, 1912	Feb 20, 1913	61
15	Saionji Kinmochi	Aug 30, 1911	Dec 21, 1912	479
14	Katsura Tarō	Jul 14, 1908	Aug 30, 1911	1,142
13	Saionji Kinmochi	Jan 7, 1906	Jul 14, 1908	919
12	Katsura Tarō	Jun 2, 1901	Jan 7, 1906	1,680
11	Itō Hirobumi	Oct 19, 1900	May 10, 1901	203
10	Yamagata Aritomo	Nov 8, 1898	Oct 19, 1900	710
9	Ōkuma Shigenobu	Jun 30, 1898	Nov 8, 1898	131
8	Itō Hirobumi	Jan 12, 1898	Jun 30, 1898	169
7	Matsukata Masayoshi	Sep 18, 1896	Jan 12, 1898	481
6	Itō Hirobumi	Aug 8, 1892	Aug 31, 1896	1,484
5	Matsukata Masayoshi	May 6, 1891	Aug 8, 1892	460
4	Yamagata Aritomo	Dec 24, 1889	May 6, 1891	498
3	Sanjō Sanetomi	Oct 25, 1889	Dec 24, 1889	60
2	Kuroda Kiyotaka	Apr 30, 1888	Oct 25, 1889	543
1	Itō Hirobumi	Dec 22, 1885	Apr 30, 1888	860

Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the Prime Minister of Japan?: Sanae Takaichi has been Prime Minister of Japan since Oct 21, 2025.
How is the leader of Japan chosen?: Japanese voters elect a parliament called the Diet, and the Diet picks the prime minister, normally the leader of the biggest party. There is no time limit on the job, but a prime minister can lose it quickly if their party changes leader or loses an election. The emperor is the head of state and has a purely ceremonial role.
Who is the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan?: Shinzō Abe, with 3,185 days in office across 4 terms.
Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Japan?: Across 107 completed terms, the average prime minister of Japan has served 477 days (about 1.3 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 288 days. The last leader to beat the average was Shinzō Abe, who left office in 2020.