List of Japanese Prime Ministers by longevity
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Japanese Prime Ministers by longevity. It consists of Prime Ministers
and Interim Prime Ministers of Japan who have held the office. If a Prime Minister served more than one non-consecutive term, the dates given are for the beginning of their first term, and the end of their last term.
To avoid confusion and maintain consistency, the name of the Prime Ministers are listed in the Western style (given name, family name). Where the person in question is still living, the longevity is calculated up to .
and Keizō Obuchi
. The youngest Prime Minister was the first, Hirobumi Itō
, who took office at the age of 44 years, 67 days. The oldest Prime Minister to first take office was Kantarō Suzuki
, who became Prime Minister at the age of 77 years, 79 days.
The oldest living Prime Minister is Yasuhiro Nakasone
, born 27 May 1918 (aged ). The youngest living former Prime Minister is Shinzō Abe
, born 21 September 1954 (aged ).
The longest-lived Prime Minister was Naruhiko Higashikuni, who died at the age of 102 years, 48 days. If the oldest living Prime Minister, Yasuhiro Nakasone
(born 27 May 1918) lives to 13 July 2020, he will tie this record. The shortest-lived Prime Minister was Sanetomi Sanjō, who died at the age of 53 years and 352 days.
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
and Interim Prime Ministers of Japan who have held the office. If a Prime Minister served more than one non-consecutive term, the dates given are for the beginning of their first term, and the end of their last term.
To avoid confusion and maintain consistency, the name of the Prime Ministers are listed in the Western style (given name, family name). Where the person in question is still living, the longevity is calculated up to .
Overview
The median age of a Prime Minister first taking office is 61 years and 2 months. This falls between Tomosaburō KatōKato Tomosaburo
Viscount was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy, cabinet minister, and Prime Minister of Japan from 12 June 1922 to 24 August 1923.-Biography:...
and Keizō Obuchi
Keizo Obuchi
was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives for twelve terms, and ultimately as the 84th Prime Minister of Japan from July 30, 1998 to April 5, 2000. His political career ended when he suffered a serious and ultimately fatal stroke....
. The youngest Prime Minister was the first, Hirobumi Itō
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
, who took office at the age of 44 years, 67 days. The oldest Prime Minister to first take office was Kantarō Suzuki
Kantaro Suzuki
Baron was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, member and final leader of the Taisei Yokusankai and 42nd Prime Minister of Japan from 7 April-17 August 1945.-Early life:...
, who became Prime Minister at the age of 77 years, 79 days.
The oldest living Prime Minister is Yasuhiro Nakasone
Yasuhiro Nakasone
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from November 27, 1982 to November 6, 1987. A contemporary of Brian Mulroney, Ronald Reagan, Helmut Kohl, François Mitterrand, Margaret Thatcher, and Mikhail Gorbachev, he is best known for pushing through the privatization of...
, born 27 May 1918 (aged ). The youngest living former Prime Minister is Shinzō Abe
Shinzo Abe
was the 90th Prime Minister of Japan, elected by a special session of the National Diet on 26 September 2006. He was Japan's youngest post–World War II prime minister and the first born after the war. Abe served as prime minister for nearly twelve months, before resigning on 12 September 2007...
, born 21 September 1954 (aged ).
The longest-lived Prime Minister was Naruhiko Higashikuni, who died at the age of 102 years, 48 days. If the oldest living Prime Minister, Yasuhiro Nakasone
Yasuhiro Nakasone
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from November 27, 1982 to November 6, 1987. A contemporary of Brian Mulroney, Ronald Reagan, Helmut Kohl, François Mitterrand, Margaret Thatcher, and Mikhail Gorbachev, he is best known for pushing through the privatization of...
(born 27 May 1918) lives to 13 July 2020, he will tie this record. The shortest-lived Prime Minister was Sanetomi Sanjō, who died at the age of 53 years and 352 days.
Longevity of Japanese Prime Ministers
# |
Prime Minister |
Date of birth |
Start date of (first) term |
Age at beginning of (first) term |
End date of (final) term |
Total time in office |
Date of death |
Lifespan |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hirobumi Itō Ito Hirobumi Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire... |
16 October 1841 | days | days | ||||
2 | Kiyotaka Kuroda Kuroda Kiyotaka , also known as , was a Japanese politician of the Meiji era. He was the second Prime Minister of Japan from 30 April 1888 to 25 October 1889.-As a Satsuma samurai:... |
16 October 1840 | days | days | ||||
3 | Sanetomi Sanjō Sanjo Sanetomi Prince was an Imperial court noble and statesman at the time of the Meiji Restoration. He held many high-ranking offices in the Meiji government.-Biography:Born in Kyoto, Sanjō was the son of Naidaijin Sanjō Sanetsumu... |
13 March 1837 | days | days | ||||
4 | Aritomo Yamagata Yamagata Aritomo Field Marshal Prince , also known as Yamagata Kyōsuke, was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and twice Prime Minister of Japan. He is considered one of the architects of the military and political foundations of early modern Japan. Yamagata Aritomo can be seen as the father of Japanese... |
14 June 1838 | days | days | ||||
5 | Masayoshi Matsukata Matsukata Masayoshi Prince was a Japanese politician and the 4th and 6th Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:... |
25 February 1835 | days | days | ||||
6 | Shigenobu Ōkuma Okuma Shigenobu Marquis ; was a statesman in the Empire of Japan and the 8th and 17th Prime Minister of Japan... |
11 March 1838 | days | days | ||||
7 | Kinmochi Saionji Saionji Kinmochi Prince was a Japanese politician, statesman and twice Prime Minister of Japan. His title does not signify the son of an emperor, but the highest rank of Japanese hereditary nobility; he was elevated from marquis to prince in 1920... |
23 October 1849 | days | days | ||||
8 | Tarō Katsura Katsura Taro Prince , was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician and three-time Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:Katsura was born into a samurai family from Hagi, Chōshū Domain... |
4 January 1848 | days | days | ||||
9 | Gonnohyōe Yamamoto Yamamoto Gonnohyoe , also called Gonnohyōe, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the 16th and 22nd Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:... |
26 November 1852 | days | days | ||||
10 | Masatake Terauchi Terauchi Masatake , GCB was a Japanese military officer and politician. He was a Field Marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 18th Prime Minister of Japan from 9 October 1916 to 29 September 1918.-Early period:... |
5 February 1852 | days | days | ||||
11 | Takashi Hara Hara Takashi was a Japanese politician and the 19th Prime Minister of Japan from 29 September 1918 to 4 November 1921. He was also called Hara Kei informally. He was the first commoner appointed to the office of prime minister of Japan... |
9 February 1856 | days | days | ||||
12 | Kosai Uchida | 17 November 1865 | days | days | ||||
13 | Korekiyo Takahashi Takahashi Korekiyo Viscount was a Japanese politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Japan from 13 November 1921 to 12 June 1922. He was known as an expert on finance during his political career.-Early life :... |
27 July 1854 | days | days | ||||
14 | Tomosaburō Katō Kato Tomosaburo Viscount was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy, cabinet minister, and Prime Minister of Japan from 12 June 1922 to 24 August 1923.-Biography:... |
22 February 1861 | days | days | ||||
15 | Keigo Kiyoura Kiyoura Keigo was a Japanese politician. He was the 23rd Prime Minister of Japan from 7 January 1924 to 11 June 1924, during the period which historians have called the “Taisho Democracy”.- Early life :... |
14 February 1850 | days | days | ||||
16 | Takaaki Katō Kato Takaaki Count was a Japanese politician and the 24th Prime Minister of Japan from 11 June 1924 to 28 January 1926. He was also known as Katō Kōmei.- Early life :... |
3 January 1860 | days | days | ||||
17 | Reijirō Wakatsuki Wakatsuki Reijiro ōBaron was a Japanese politician and the 25th and 28th Prime Minister of Japan. Opposition politicians of the time derogatorily labeled him Usotsuki Reijirō, or "Reijirō the Liar".- Early life :... |
21 March 1866 | days | days | ||||
18 | Giichi Tanaka Tanaka Giichi Baron was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician, and the 26th Prime Minister of Japan from 20 April 1927 to 2 July 1929.-Early life and military career:... |
22 June 1864 | days | days | ||||
19 | Osachi Hamaguchi | 1 April 1870 | days | days | ||||
20 | Kijūrō Shidehara Kijuro Shidehara Baron was a prominent pre–World War II Japanese diplomat and the 44th Prime Minister of Japan from 9 October 1945 to 22 May 1946. He was a leading proponent of pacifism in Japan before and after World War II, and was also the last Japanese prime minister who was a member of the kazoku... |
11 August 1872 | days | days | ||||
21 | Tsuyoshi Inukai Inukai Tsuyoshi was a Japanese politician and the 29th Prime Minister of Japan from 13 December 1931 to 15 May 1932.-Early life:Inukai was born to a former samurai family of the Niwase Domain, in Niwase village, Bizen Province , and was a graduate of Keio Gijuku in Tokyo. In his early career, he worked as a... |
20 April 1855 | days | days | ||||
22 | Makoto Saitō Saito Makoto Viscount was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, two-time Governor-General of Korea from 1919 to 1927 and from 1929 to 1931, and the 30th Prime Minister of Japan from May 26, 1932 to July 8, 1934.-Early life:... |
27 October 1858 | days | days | ||||
23 | Keisuke Okada Keisuke Okada was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, politician and the 31st Prime Minister of Japan from 8 July 1934 to 9 March 1936.-Early life:Okada was born in what is now Fukui Prefecture to an ex-samurai family. He attended the 15th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, graduating 7th out of... |
20 January 1868 | days | days | ||||
24 | Fumio Gotō | 7 March 1884 | days | days | ||||
25 | Kōki Hirota Koki Hirota was a Japanese diplomat, politician and the 32nd Prime Minister of Japan from March 9, 1936 to February 2, 1937.-Early life:Hirota was born in what is now part of Chūō-ku, Fukuoka city, Fukuoka Prefecture. His father was a stonemason, and he was adopted into the Hirota family. After attending... |
14 February 1878 | days | days | ||||
26 | Senjūrō Hayashi Senjuro Hayashi was an Imperial Japanese Army commander of the Chosen Army of Japan in Korea during the Mukden Incident and the invasion of Manchuria, and a Japanese politician and the 33rd Prime Minister of Japan from February 2, 1937 to June 4, 1937.-Biography:... |
23 February 1876 | days | days | ||||
27 | Fumimaro Konoe Fumimaro Konoe Prince was a politician in the Empire of Japan who served as the 34th, 38th and 39th Prime Minister of Japan and founder/leader of the Taisei Yokusankai.- Early life :... |
12 October 1891 | days | days | ||||
28 | Kiichirō Hiranuma | 28 September 1867 | days | days | ||||
29 | Nobuyuki Abe | 24 November 1875 | days | days | ||||
30 | Mitsumasa Yonai Mitsumasa Yonai was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and politician. He was the 37th Prime Minister of Japan from 16 January to 22 July 1940.-Early life & Naval career:... |
2 March 1880 | days | days | ||||
31 | Hideki Tōjō Hideki Tōjō Hideki Tōjō was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army , the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II, from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944... |
30 December 1884 | days | days | ||||
32 | Kuniaki Koiso Kuniaki Koiso - Notes :... |
22 March 1880 | days | days | ||||
33 | Kantarō Suzuki Kantaro Suzuki Baron was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, member and final leader of the Taisei Yokusankai and 42nd Prime Minister of Japan from 7 April-17 August 1945.-Early life:... |
18 January 1868 | days | days | ||||
34 | Naruhiko Higashikuni | 3 December 1887 | days | days | ||||
35 | Shigeru Yoshida Shigeru Yoshida , KCVO was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954.-Early life:... |
22 September 1878 | days | days | ||||
36 | Tetsu Katayama Tetsu Katayama was a Japanese politician and the 46th Prime Minister from May 24, 1947 to March 10, 1948.- Early life :He was born in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, and attended Tokyo Imperial University. Raised in the Christian faith, he was strongly influenced by the Christian Socialism of Abe Isō... |
28 July 1887 | days | days | ||||
37 | Hitoshi Ashida Hitoshi Ashida was a Japanese politician who served as the 47th Prime Minister of Japan from March 10 to October 15, 1948. He was a prominent figure in the immediate postwar political landscape, but was forced to resign his leadership responsibilities after a corruption scandal targeting two of his cabinet... |
15 November 1887 | days | days | ||||
38 | Ichirō Hatoyama Ichiro Hatoyama was a Japanese politician and the 52nd, 53rd and 54th Prime Minister of Japan, serving terms from December 10, 1954 through March 19, 1955, from then to November 22, 1955, and from then through December 23, 1956.-Personal life:... |
1 January 1883 | days | days | ||||
39 | Tanzan Ishibashi Tanzan Ishibashi was a Japanese journalist and politician. Being a member of Nichiren-shū the name Tanzan is a religious name as his profane name was Seizō . He was the 55th Prime Minister of Japan from December 23, 1956 to February 25, 1957. During the same time he was the 2nd president of the Liberal Democratic... |
25 September 1884 | days | days | ||||
40 | Nobusuke Kishi Nobusuke Kishi was a Japanese politician and the 56th and 57th Prime Minister of Japan from February 25, 1957 to June 12, 1958 and from then to July 19, 1960. He was often called Shōwa no yōkai .- Early life :... |
13 November 1896 | days | days | ||||
41 | Hayato Ikeda Hayato Ikeda born in Takehara, Hiroshima, was a Japanese politician and the 58th, 59th and 60th Prime Minister of Japan from July 19, 1960 to November 9, 1964.... |
3 December 1899 | days | days | ||||
42 | Eisaku Satō Eisaku Sato This article is about the Prime Minister of Japan. For the governor of Fukushima Prefecture of Japan of the same name, see Eisaku Satō .... |
27 March 1901 | days | days | ||||
43 | Kakuei Tanaka Kakuei Tanaka was a Japanese politician and the 64th and 65th Prime Minister of Japan from 7 July 1972 to 22 December 1972 and from 22 December 1972 to 9 December 1974 respectively... |
4 May 1918 | days | days | ||||
44 | Takeo Miki Takeo Miki was a Japanese politician and the 41st Prime Minister of Japan.-Background summary:Born in Awa, Tokushima, Miki graduated from Meiji University in Tokyo... |
17 March 1907 | days | days | ||||
45 | Takeo Fukuda Takeo Fukuda was a Japanese politician and the 42d Prime Minister of Japan from December 24, 1976 to December 7, 1978.He was born in Gunma Prefecture and attended Tokyo Imperial University. Before and during World War II, he served as a bureaucrat in the Finance Ministry and as Chief Cabinet Secretary... |
14 January 1905 | days | days | ||||
46 | Masayoshi Ōhira Masayoshi Ohira was a Japanese politician and the 68th and 69th Prime Minister of Japan from December 7, 1978 to June 12, 1980. He is the most recent Japanese prime minister to die in office.He was born in present day Kan'onji, Kagawa and attended Hitotsubashi University.... |
12 March 1910 | days | days | ||||
47 | Masayoshi Ito | 15 December 1913 | days | days | ||||
48 | Zenko Suzuki Zenko Suzuki was a Japanese politician and the 70th Prime Minister of Japan from July 17, 1980 to November 27, 1982.Suzuki graduated from Tokyo University of Fisheries in 1935... |
11 January 1911 | days | days | ||||
49 | Yasuhiro Nakasone Yasuhiro Nakasone is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from November 27, 1982 to November 6, 1987. A contemporary of Brian Mulroney, Ronald Reagan, Helmut Kohl, François Mitterrand, Margaret Thatcher, and Mikhail Gorbachev, he is best known for pushing through the privatization of... |
27 May 1918 | days | days | ||||
50 | Noboru Takeshita Noboru Takeshita was a Japanese politician and the 74th Prime Minister of Japan from November 6, 1987 to June 3, 1989.Takeshita was also the last Prime Minister during the long rule of the Emperor Shōwa.-Early years:... |
26 February 1924 | days | days | ||||
51 | Sōsuke Uno Sosuke Uno was a Japanese politician and the 75th Prime Minister of Japan from June 3, 1989 to August 10, 1989.He was born in Shiga Prefecture and attended the Kobe University of Commerce... |
27 August 1922 | days | days | ||||
52 | Toshiki Kaifu Toshiki Kaifu is a Japanese politician who was the 76th and 77th Prime Minister of Japan from 1989 to 1991.- Career :He was born in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, and was educated at Chuo University and Waseda University. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party , Kaifu ran successfully for the Diet in 1960 and... |
2 January 1931 | days | days | ||||
53 | Kiichi Miyazawa Kiichi Miyazawa was a Japanese politician and the 78th Prime Minister from November 5, 1991 to August 9, 1993.-Early life and career:Miyazawa was born in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, and graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a degree in law. In 1942 he joined the Ministry of Finance... |
8 October 1919 | days | days | ||||
54 | Morihiro Hosokawa Morihiro Hosokawa is a Japanese politician who was the 79th Prime Minister of Japan from August 9, 1993 to April 28, 1994. His coalition was the first non-Liberal Democratic Party government since 1955.- Early life :... |
14 January 1938 | days | days | ||||
55 | Tsutomu Hata Tsutomu Hata is a Japanese politician and was the 80th Prime Minister of Japan for 9 weeks in 1994.He was born in Tokyo, a son of the Liberal Democratic Party Member of Parliament Bushiro Hata. Hata graduated from Seijo University and was employed by the Odakyu bus company from 1958 to 1969... |
24 August 1935 | days | days | ||||
56 | Tomiichi Murayama Tomiichi Murayama is a retired Japanese politician who served as the 81st Prime Minister of Japan from June 30, 1994 to January 11, 1996. He was the head of the Social Democratic Party of Japan and the first Socialist prime minister in nearly fifty years... |
3 March 1924 | days | days | ||||
57 | Ryutaro Hashimoto Ryutaro Hashimoto was a Japanese politician who served as the 82nd and 83rd Prime Minister of Japan from January 11, 1996 to July 30, 1998. He was the leader of one of the largest factions within the ruling LDP through most of the 1990s and remained a powerful back-room player in Japanese politics until scandal... |
29 July 1937 | days | days | ||||
58 | Keizō Obuchi Keizo Obuchi was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives for twelve terms, and ultimately as the 84th Prime Minister of Japan from July 30, 1998 to April 5, 2000. His political career ended when he suffered a serious and ultimately fatal stroke.... |
25 June 1937 | days | days | ||||
59 | Yoshirō Mori Yoshiro Mori is a Japanese politician who served as the 85th and 86th Prime Minister of Japan starting at 5 April 2000 ending 26 April 2001. Described as having "the heart of a flea and the brain of a shark," he was an unpopular prime minister mainly remembered today for his many gaffes and situationally... |
14 July 1937 | days | days | ||||
60 | Junichiro Koizumi Junichiro Koizumi is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the... |
8 January 1942 | days | days | ||||
61 | Shinzō Abe Shinzo Abe was the 90th Prime Minister of Japan, elected by a special session of the National Diet on 26 September 2006. He was Japan's youngest post–World War II prime minister and the first born after the war. Abe served as prime minister for nearly twelve months, before resigning on 12 September 2007... |
21 September 1954 | days | days | ||||
62 | Yasuo Fukuda Yasuo Fukuda was the 91st Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving for three and a half years under Prime Ministers Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi.... |
16 July 1936 | days | days | ||||
63 | Taro Aso Taro Aso was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and... |
20 September 1940 | days | days | ||||
64 | Yukio Hatoyama Yukio Hatoyama is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan between 16 September 2009 and 2 June 2010, and was the first ever Prime Minister from the modern Democratic Party of Japan.... |
11 February 1947 | days | days | ||||
65 | Naoto Kan Naoto Kan is a Japanese politician, and former Prime Minister of Japan. In June 2010, then-Finance Minister Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan and designated Prime Minister by the Diet to succeed Yukio Hatoyama. On 26 August 2011, Kan announced his resignation... |
10 October 1946 | days | days | ||||
66 | Yoshihiko Noda Yoshihiko Noda is the current Prime Minister of Japan, a member of the Democratic Party of Japan , and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet... |
20 May 1957 | days | days | ||||
# | Prime Minister | Date of birth | Start date of (first) term |
Age at beginning of (first) term |
End date of (final) term |
Total time in office |
Date of death | Lifespan |