Japan’s political leadership has seen various transitions from the Meiji era to the present day. The role of the Prime Minister has been crucial in shaping the nation’s domestic policies and international relations. This list explores the Prime Ministers who have led Japan from the establishment of the office in 1885 up until 2024.
Japan is an island nation in East Asia, located in the Pacific Ocean and bordered by the Sea of Japan. It comprises four main islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—and many smaller ones, covering 377,975 km². With nearly 124 million people in 2024, Japan’s capital, Tokyo, is the world’s largest metropolitan area. Its mountainous terrain, located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, makes it prone to earthquakes and tsunamis.
The list of Prime Ministers of Japan from 1885 to 2024 includes leaders who have played significant roles in shaping the country’s political landscape. Japan’s prime ministers have overseen various historical events, from the Meiji Restoration through World War II to the modern era of global diplomacy and economic development.
Here is the list of Prime Ministers of Japan from 1885 to 2024:
| Prime Ministers of Japan from 1885 to 2024 | ||
| Name | Tenure | |
| From | To | |
| ITO Hirobumi | December 22, 1885 | April 30, 1888 |
| Kuroda Kiyotaka | April 30, 1888 | October 25, 1889 |
| Yamagata Aritomo | December 24, 1889 | May 6, 1891 |
| Matsukata Masayoshi | May 6, 1891 | August 8, 1892 |
| ITO Hirobumi | August 8, 1892 | August 31, 1896 |
| Matsukata Masayoshi | September 18, 1896 | January 12, 1898 |
| ITO Hirobumi | January 12, 1898 | June 30, 1898 |
| Okuma Shigenobu | June 30, 1898 | November 8, 1898 |
| Yamagata Aritomo | November 8, 1898 | October 19,1900 |
| ITO Hirobumi | October 19, 1900 | May 10, 1901 |
| Katsura Taro | June 2, 1901 | January 7, 1906 |
| SaionJi Kinmochi | January 7, 1906 | July 14, 1908 |
| Katsura Taro | July 14, 1908 | August 30, 1911 |
| SaionJi Kinmochi | August 30, 1911 | December 21, 1912 |
| Katsura Taro | December 21, 1912 | February 20, 1913 |
| Yamamoto Gonbe | February 20, 1913 | April 16, 1914 |
| Okuma Shingenobu | April 16, 1914 | October 9, 1916 |
| Terauchi Masatake | October 9, 1916 | September 29, 1918 |
| Hara Takashi | September 29, 1918 | November 4, 1921 |
| Takahashi Korekiyo | November 13, 1921 | June 12, 1922 |
| Kato Tomosaburo | June 12, 1922 | August 24, 1923 |
| Yamamoto Gonbe | September 2, 1923 | January 7, 1924 |
| Kiyoura Keigo | January 7, 1924 | June 11, 1924 |
| Kato Takaaki | June 11, 1924 | January 28, 1926 |
| Wakatsuki Reijiro | January 30, 1926 | April 20, 1927 |
| Tanaka Giichi | April 20, 1927 | July 2, 1929 |
| Hamaguchi Osachi | July 2, 1929 | April 14, 1931 |
| Wakatsuki Reijiro | April 14, 1931 | December 13, 1931 |
| Inukai Tsuyoshi | December 13, 1931 | May 16, 1932 |
| Saito Makoto | May 26, 1932 | July 8, 1934 |
| Okada Keisuke | July 8, 1934 | March 9, 1936 |
| Hirota Koki | March 9, 1936 | February 2, 1937 |
| Hayashi Senjuro | February 2, 1937 | June 4, 1937 |
| Konoe Fumimaro | June 4, 1937 | January 5, 1939 |
| Hiranuma Kiichiro | January 5, 1939 | August 30, 1939 |
| Abe Nobuyuki | August 30, 1939 | January 16, 1940 |
| Yonai Mitsumasa | January 16, 1940 | July 22, 1940 |
| Konoe Fumimaro | July 22, 1940 | July 18, 1941 |
| Konoe Fumimaro | July 18, 1941 | October 18, 1941 |
| Tojo Hideki | October 18, 1941 | July 18, 1944 |
| Koiso Kuniaki | July 22, 1944 | April 7, 1945 |
| Suzuki Kantaro | April 7, 1945 | August 17, 1945 |
| Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko | August 17, 1945 | October 9, 1945 |
| Shidehara Kijyuro | October 9, 1945 | May 22, 1946 |
| Yoshida Shigeru | May 22, 1946 | May 24, 1947 |
| Katamaya Testu | May 24, 1947 | March 10, 1948 |
| Ashida Hitoshi | May 10, 1948 | October 15, 1948 |
| Yoshida Shigeru | October 15, 1948 | February 16, 1949 |
| Yoshida Shigeru | February 16, 1949 | October 30, 1952 |
| Yoshida Shigeru | October 30, 1952 | May 21, 1953 |
| Yoshida Shigeru | May 21, 1953 | December 10, 1954 |
| Hatomaya Ichiro | December 10, 1954 | March 19, 1955 |
| Hatomaya Ichiro | March 19, 1955 | November 22, 1955 |
| Hatomaya Ichiro | November 22, 1955 | December 23, 1956 |
| Ishibashi Tanzan | December 23, 1956 | February 25, 1957 |
| Kishi Nobusuke | February 25, 1957 | June 12, 1958 |
| Kishi Nobusuke | June 12, 1958 | July 19, 1960 |
| Ikeda Hayato | July 19, 1960 | December 8, 1960 |
| Ikeda Hayato | December 8, 1960 | December 9, 1963 |
| Ikeda Hayato | December 9, 1963 | November 9, 1964 |
| Sato Eisaku | November 9, 1964 | February 17, 1967 |
| Sato Eisaku | February 17, 1967 | January 14, 1970 |
| Sato Eisaku | January 14, 1970 | July 7, 1972 |
| Tanaka Kakuei | July 7, 1972 | December 22, 1972 |
| Tanaka Kakuei | December 22, 1972 | December 9, 1974 |
| Miki Takeo | December 9, 1974 | December 24, 1976 |
| Fukuda Takeo | December 24, 1976 | December 7, 1978 |
| Ohira Masayoshi | December 7, 1978 | November 9, 1979 |
| Ohira Masayoshi | November 9, 1979 | June 12, 1980 |
| Suzuki Zenko | July 17, 1980 | November 27, 1982 |
| Nakasone Yasuhiro | November 27, 1982 | December 27, 1983 |
| Nakasone Yashiro | December 27, 1983 | July 22, 1986 |
| Nakasone Yashiro | July 22, 1986 | November 6, 1987 |
| Takeshita Noboru | November 6, 1987 | June 3, 1989 |
| Uno Sousuke | June 3, 1989 | August 10, 1989 |
| Faifu Toshiki | August 10, 1989 | February 28, 1990 |
| Faifu Toshiki | February 28, 1990 | November 5, 1991 |
| Miyazawa Kiichi | November 5, 1991 | August 9, 1993 |
| Hosokawa Morihiro | August 9, 1993 | April 28, 1994 |
| Hata Tsutomu | April 28, 1994 | June 30, 1994 |
| Murayama Tomiichi | June 30, 1994 | January 11, 1996 |
| Hashimoto Ryutaro | January 11, 1996 | November 7, 1996 |
| Hashimoto Ryutaro | November 7, 1996 | July 30, 1998 |
| Obuchi Keizo | July 30, 1998 | April 5, 2000 |
| Mori Yoshiro | April 5, 2000 | July 4, 2000 |
| Mori Yoshiro | July 4, 2000 | April 26, 2001 |
| Koizumi Junichiro | April 26, 2001 | November 19, 2003 |
| Koizumi Junichiro | November 19, 2003 | September 21, 2005 |
| September 21, 2005 | September 26, 2006 | |
| Abe Shinzo | September 26, 2006 | September 26, 2007 |
| Fukudo Yasuo | September 26, 2007 | September 24, 2008 |
| Aso Taro | September 24, 2008 | September 16, 2009 |
| Hatoyama Yukio | September 16, 2009 | June 8, 2010 |
| Kan Naoto | June 8, 2010 | September 2, 2011 |
| Noda Yoshiko | September 2, 2011 | December 26, 2012 |
| Abe Shinzo | December 26, 2012 | December 24, 2014 |
| Abe Shinzo | December 24, 2014 | November 1, 2017 |
| Abe Shinzo | November 1, 2017 | September 16, 2020 |
| Suga Yoshihide | September 16, 2020 | October 4, 2021 |
| Kishida Fumio | October 4, 2021 | November 10, 2021 |
| Shigeru Ishiba | October 1, 2024 | – |
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