Prime Minister of Japan facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Prime Minister of Japan
Standard of the Prime Minister of Japan
Emblem of the Prime Minister of Japan
Incumbent Shigeru Ishiba since 1 October 2024
Executive branch of the Japanese government Office of the Prime Minister
Style	Naikaku sōridaijin (formal) His Excellency (formal and diplomatic) Shushō (informal and during Party debates) Sōri (informal)
Member of	Cabinet National Security Council National Diet
Residence	Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei
Seat	Tokyo
Nominator	National Diet
Appointer	Emperor
Term length	No fixed term length, renewable indefinitely.
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Japan
Precursor	Daijō-daijin of Japan
Formation	22 December 1885; 139 years ago (1885-12-22)
First holder	Itō Hirobumi
Deputy	Deputy Prime Minister
Salary	¥40,490,000/ USD$ 257,597 annually

The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: Naikaku Sōri-Daijin) is the top leader of the Japanese government. Think of them as the chief executive, like a president in some other countries. The prime minister leads the Cabinet of Japan, which is a group of important government ministers. They can choose and remove these ministers.

The prime minister also serves as the main leader of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, which are Japan's military forces. They are also a member of the National Diet, which is Japan's parliament. Usually, they are a member of the House of Representatives.

The Emperor officially appoints the prime minister. But first, the National Diet chooses who they want for the job. To stay in power, the prime minister must keep the support of the House of Representatives. The prime minister lives and works at the Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei, which is their official residence and office in Tokyo.

Many people have served as prime minister of Japan. The first was Itō Hirobumi, who started on December 22, 1885. The person who served the longest was Shinzo Abe, for over eight years. The shortest-serving prime minister was Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni, who served for only 54 days. The current prime minister is Shigeru Ishiba. He took office on October 1, 2024.

What is the Prime Minister Called?

Different Names for the Prime Minister

In Japanese, the prime minister has different names depending on the situation. This shows their various roles. Since the modern cabinet system started, the prime minister is officially called Naikaku Sōri-Daijin (内閣総理大臣). This means "Minister President of the Cabinet."

However, people often shorten this title to Sōri-Daijin (総理大臣). Even shorter versions include Sōri (総理), Shushō (首相), or Saishō (宰相).

English Title for the Prime Minister

In English, the official title is simply 'Prime Minister'. This English name was used even before the modern cabinet system.

How the Prime Minister's Role Developed

Itō Hirobumi, the first Prime Minister of Japan

Before Japan adopted its modern constitution, it didn't have a written set of laws like it does today. For a long time, Japan had a system inspired by ancient China. This system focused on a government with skilled officials, all working under the Emperor. However, powerful families or military leaders often held the real power.

Under this older system, the Daijō-daijin (太政大臣), or "Chancellor of the Realm," was the head of the government's top office. This position was replaced in 1885 when Itō Hirobumi became the first "Minister President of State." This happened four years before Japan's first modern constitution was written. The prime minister's role as we know it today was fully formed when the current Constitution of Japan was adopted in 1947.

So far, 65 different men have served as prime minister. Shinzo Abe served the longest, for a total of 8 years and 267 days over two separate terms. The shortest-serving prime minister was Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni, who served for 54 days in 1945.

How the Prime Minister is Chosen

The prime minister is chosen by both houses of the National Diet (Japan's parliament). They vote to pick a person. If the two houses choose different people, they try to agree on one person. If they still can't agree, the choice made by the House of Representatives becomes the final decision. This means the House of Representatives has a lot of power in choosing the prime minister.

After the Diet chooses a person, the Emperor formally appoints them to the job at the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Usually, the prime minister is the leader of the political party that has the most seats in the House of Representatives. Or, they are the leader of the main party in a group of parties working together.

What Makes Someone Qualified to be Prime Minister?

To become prime minister of Japan, a person must meet a few requirements:

They must be a member of either the House of Representatives or the House of Councillors in the National Diet. This means they must be at least 25 years old and a Japanese citizen.
They must be a civilian. This means they cannot be a currently serving member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. However, former military members can be appointed.

What Does the Prime Minister Do?

Main Duties of the Prime Minister

The prime minister has many important jobs:

They lead and oversee all parts of the government's executive branch.
They propose new laws to the Diet on behalf of the Cabinet.
They sign laws and government orders, along with other Cabinet members.
They appoint all Cabinet ministers and can remove them at any time.
They can allow legal action to be taken against Cabinet ministers if needed.
They must report to the Diet about Japan's relationships with other countries and its internal affairs.
They must answer questions and explain things to the Diet when asked.
They can advise the Emperor to dissolve (close) the House of Representatives, which leads to new elections.

Other Important Roles

They lead all meetings of the Cabinet.
They are the Commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
They can overrule certain court orders if there's a good reason.

Unlike leaders in many other countries with emperors or kings, Japan's prime minister is truly in charge of the government. The Constitution of Japan clearly states that the Cabinet, led by the prime minister, holds the executive power. This makes the prime minister's position very strong. Their signature is needed for all laws and Cabinet orders.

Symbols of the Prime Minister

Standard of the Prime Minister
Seal of the Prime Minister
Mon (crest) of the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister's Office and Home

Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei, the Prime Minister's Office of Japan

The main office of the Prime Minister of Japan is called the Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei (内閣総理大臣官邸). It is located close to the Diet building. The original Kantei was used from 1929 until 2002. Then, a new building was opened as the current Kantei. The old Kantei was turned into the official residence, called the Kōtei (公邸). The Kōtei is connected to the Kantei by a walkway.

How the Prime Minister Travels

The prime minister of Japan travels in a special car, a Toyota Century. Before that, a Lexus LS 600h L was used from 2008 to 2019. It is now kept as a backup car.

For trips to other countries, the Japanese government uses two Boeing 777 airplanes. These planes replaced older Boeing 747s in 2019. The Emperor, members of the imperial family, and other high-ranking officials also use these aircraft.

These planes have special radio callsigns: Japanese Air Force One and Japanese Air Force Two when on official missions. They are called Cygnus One and Cygnus Two during training flights. The two planes always fly together on government missions. One is the main plane, and the other is a backup with maintenance staff on board.

Toyota Century
Japanese Air Force One

Honors After Leaving Office

All eleven current living former Japanese prime ministers, Fumio Kishida (top left), Yoshihide Suga, Yoshihiko Noda, Naoto Kan, Yukio Hatoyama, Tarō Asō, Yasuo Fukuda (bottom left), Junichiro Koizumi, Yoshirō Mori, Tomiichi Murayama and Morihiro Hosokawa.

After leaving office, prime ministers often receive special honors. Until the 1930s, they were usually given a special noble title. The last prime minister to hold such a title was Baron Kijūrō Shidehara in 1946. These noble titles were ended in 1947 when the new Constitution of Japan came into effect.

Many important prime ministers have received the Order of the Chrysanthemum, which is a very high honor in Japan. Sometimes, they receive the highest level of this award, called the Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum. This is usually given after they have passed away. For example, former prime minister Shinzo Abe received this honor after his death in 2022.

Prime ministers also receive other awards, like the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers. This depends on how long they served and how important their work was.

The prime minister also gives out awards to people who have achieved great things in sports, entertainment, and other areas. Examples include the Prime Minister's Award and the People's Honour Award.