Leaders of Japan
(State of Japan)
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Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at CIDOB website.

Parties: Jiminto: Liberal Democratic Party (1955-) - Jiyuto: Liberal Party (1945-1948 > Minshujiyuto / 1950-1955 > Jiminto) - Kaishinto: Reformist Party (1952-1954 > Nihon Minshuto) - Kibonoto: Party of Hope (2017-2018 > Kokumin Minshuto) - Kokumin Minshuto: Democratic Party for the People (2018-2020 > Rikken Minshuto) - Komeito: Clean Government Party (1998-) - Minshinto: Democratic Party (2016-2018 > Kokumin Minshuto) - Minshujiyuto: Democratic Liberal Party (1948-1950 > Jiyuto) - Minshuto: Democratic Party of Japan (1996/1998-2016 > Minshinto) - Nihon Minshuto: Japan Democratic Party (1947-1950/1954-1955 > Jiminto) - Nihon Shakaito: Japan Socialist Party (1945-1996 > Shaminto) - Nihon Shinto: Japan New Party (1992-1994) - Rikken Minshuto: Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (2017-) - Ryokufukai: Green Breeze Society (1947–1960) - Shaminto, or Shakai Minshuto: Social Democratic Party (1996-) - Shinseito: Japan Renewal Party (1993-1994) - Shinto Sakigake: New Frontier Party (1993-2002) - n/p: non-party


Emperor (Tenno)
Hirohito (Showa Tenno) 25 Dec 1926 -  7 Jan 1989 (†1989)    
Akihito                 7 Jan 1989 - 30 Apr 2019        (*)   
Naruhito                1 May 2019 -              

(*) Akihito's posthumous name will be Heisei Tenno
Prime Ministers
Kantaro Suzuki         7 Apr 1945 - 16 Aug 1945 (†1948) military
Naruhito Kigashi-Kuni 16 Aug 1945 -  8 Oct 1945 (†1990) military
Kijuro Shidehara       8 Oct 1945 - 20 May 1946 (†1951) n/p
Shigeru Yoshida       20 May 1946 - 21 May 1947 (†1967) Jiyuto
Tetsu Katayama        21 May 1947 - 23 Feb 1948 (†1978) Nihon Shakaito
Hitoshi Ashida        23 Feb 1948 - 15 Oct 1948 (†1959) Nihon Minshuto
Shigeru Yoshida       15 Oct 1948 - 10 Dec 1954 (†1967) Minshujiyuto, Jiyuto
Ichiro Hatoyama       10 Dec 1954 - 23 Dec 1956 (†1959) Nihon Minshuto, Jiminto
Tanzan Ishibashi      23 Dec 1956 - 24 Feb 1957 (†1973) Jiminto
Nobusuke Kishi        24 Feb 1957 - 18 Jul 1960 (†1987) Jiminto
Hayato Ikeda          18 Jul 1960 -  9 Nov 1964 (†1965) Jiminto
Eisaku Sato            9 Nov 1964 -  6 Jul 1972 (†1975) Jiminto
Kakuei Tanaka          6 Jul 1972 -  9 Dec 1974 (†1993) Jiminto
Takeo Miki             9 Dec 1974 - 24 Dec 1976 (†1988) Jiminto
Takeo Fukuda          24 Dec 1976 -  7 Dec 1978 (†1995) Jiminto
Masayoshi Ohira        7 Dec 1978 - 12 Jun 1980 (†1980) Jiminto
Masayoshi Ito         12 Jun 1980 - 17 Jul 1980 (†1994) Jiminto (acting)
Zenko Suzuki          17 Jul 1980 - 26 Nov 1982 (†2004) Jiminto
Yasuhiro Nakasone     26 Nov 1982 -  6 Nov 1987 (†2019) Jiminto
Noboru Takeshita       6 Nov 1987 -  2 Jun 1989 (†2000) Jiminto
Sosuke Uno             2 Jun 1989 -  9 Aug 1989 (†1998) Jiminto
Toshiki Kaifu          9 Aug 1989 -  6 Nov 1991 (†2022) Jiminto
Kiichi Miyazawa        6 Nov 1991 -  9 Aug 1993 (†2007) Jiminto
Morihiro Hosokawa      9 Aug 1993 - 25 Apr 1994         Nihon Shinto
Tsutomu Hata          25 Apr 1994 - 29 Jun 1994 (†2017) Shinseito
Tomiichi Murayama     29 Jun 1994 - 11 Jan 1996         Nihon Shakaito
Ryutaro Hashimoto     11 Jan 1996 - 30 Jul 1998 (†2006) Jiminto
Keizo Obuchi          30 Jul 1998 -  3 Apr 2000 (†2000) Jiminto
Michio Aoki            3 Apr 2000 -  5 Apr 2000 (†2023) Jiminto (acting) 
Yoshiro Mori           5 Apr 2000 - 26 Apr 2001         Jiminto
Junichiro Koizumi     26 Apr 2001 - 26 Sep 2006         Jiminto
Shinzo Abe            26 Sep 2006 - 26 Sep 2007 (†2022) Jiminto
Yasuo Fukuda          26 Sep 2007 - 24 Sep 2008         Jiminto
Taro Aso              24 Sep 2008 - 16 Sep 2009         Jiminto
Yukio Hatoyama        16 Sep 2009 -  8 Jun 2010         Minshuto
Naoto Kan              8 Jun 2010 -  2 Sep 2011         Minshuto
Yoshihiko Noda         2 Sep 2011 - 26 Dec 2012         Minshuto
Shinzo Abe            26 Dec 2012 - 16 Sep 2020 (†2022) Jiminto
Yoshihide Suga        16 Sep 2020 -  4 Oct 2021         Jiminto
Fumio Kishida          4 Oct 2021 -                     Jiminto

Deputy Prime Ministers
Kijuro Shidehara     1947      (†1951) n/p
Hitoshi Ashida       1947-1948 (†1959) Nihon Minshuto
Suehiro Nishio       1948      (†1981) Nihon Shakaito
Joji Hayashi         1948-1951 (†1960) Minshujiyuto, Jiyuto
Taketora Ogata       1952-1954 (†1956) Jiyuto
Mamoru Shigemitsu    1954-1956 (†1957) Nihon Minshuto, Jiminto
Mitsujiro Ishii      1957-1958 (†1981) Jiminto
Shuji Masutani       1959-1960 (†1973) Jiminto
Takeo Miki           1972-1974 (†1988) Jiminto
Takeo Fukuda         1974-1976 (†1995) Jiminto
Masayoshi Ito        1980      (†1994) Jiminto
Shin Kanemaru        1986-1987 (†1996) Jiminto
Kiichi Miyazawa      1987-1988 (†2007) Jiminto
Michio Watanabe      1991-1993 (†1995) Jiminto
Masaharu Gotoda      1993      (†2005) Jiminto
Tsutomu Hata         1993-1994 (†2017) Shinseito
Yohei Kono           1994-1995         Jiminto
Ryutaro Hashimoto    1995-1996 (†2006) Jiminto
Wataru Kubo          1996      (†2003) Shaminto
Naoto Kan            2009-2010         Minshuto
Katsuya Okada        2012              Minshuto
Taro Aso             2012-2021         Jiminto

Speakers of the House of Representatives of the Diet
Senzo Higai          1946              Jiyuto          
Takeshi Yamazaki     1946-1947 (†1957) Jiyuto, n/p
Komakichi Matsuoka   1947-1949 (†1958) Nihon Shakaito
Kijuro Shidehara     1949-1951 (†1951) n/p
Joji Hayashi         1951-1952 (†1960) Jiyuto
Bamboko Ohno         1952-1953 (†1964) Jiyuto
Kojiro Tsutsumi      1953-1954 (†1964) Kaishinto
To Matsunaga         1954-1955 (†1968) Nihon Minshuto
Shuji Masutani       1955-1958 (†1973) Jiminto
Niro Hoshijima       1958      (†1980) Jiminto
Ryogoro Kato         1958-1960 (†1970) Jiminto
Ichiro Kiyose        1960-1963 (†1967) Jiminto
Naka Funada          1963-1965 (†1979) Jiminto
Kikuichiro Yamaguchi 1965-1966 (†1981) Jiminto
Kentaro Ayabe        1966-1967 (†1972) Jiminto
Mitsujiro Ishii      1967-1969 (†1981) Jiminto
Takechiyo Matsuda    1969-1970 (†1980) Jiminto
Naka Funada          1970-1972 (†1979) Jiminto
Umekichi Nakamura    1972-1973 (†1984) Jiminto
Shigesaburo Maeo     1974-1976 (†1981) Jiminto
Shigeru Hori         1976-1979 (†1979) Jiminto
Hirokichi Nadao      1979-1980 (†1994) Jiminto
Hajime Fukuda        1980-1983 (†1997) Jiminto
Kenji Fukunaga       1983-1985 (†1988) Jiminto
Michita Sakata       1985-1986 (†2004) Jiminto
Kenzaburo Hara       1986-1989 (†2004) Jiminto
Hajime Tamura        1989-1993         Jiminto
Yoshio Sakurauchi    1993      (†2003) Jiminto
Takako Doi           1993-1996         Nihon Shakaito
Soichiro Ito         1996-2000 (†2001) Jiminto
Tamisuke Watanuki    2000-2003         Jiminto
Yohei Kono           2003-2009         Jiminto    
Takahiro Yokomichi   2009-2012         Minshuto     
Bunmei Ibuki         2012-2014         Jiminto
Nobutaka Machimura   2014-2015         Jiminto
Tadamori Oshima      2015-2021         Jiminto
Hiroyuki Hosoda      2021-             Jiminto

Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Kantaro Suzuki       1945      (†1948) military
Shigenori Togo       1945      (†1950) n/p
Mamoru Shigemitsu    1945      (†1957) n/p
Shigeru Yoshida      1945-1947 (†1967) Jiyuto
Hitoshi Ashida       1947-1948 (†1959) Nihon Minshuto
Shigeru Yoshida      1948-1954 (†1967) Minshujiyuto, Jiyuto
Mamoru Shigemitsu    1954-1956 (†1957) Jiminto
Nobusuke Kishi       1956-1957 (†1987) Jiminto
Aiichiro Fujiyama    1957-1960 (†1985) Jiminto
Zentaro Kosaka       1960-1962 (†2000) Jiminto
Masayoshi Ohira      1962-1964 (†1980) Jiminto
Etsusaburo Shiina    1964-1966 (†1979) Jiminto
Takeo Miki           1966-1968 (†1988) Jiminto
Kiichi Aichi         1968-1971 (†1973) Jiminto
Takeo Fukuda         1971-1972 (†1995) Jiminto
Masayoshi Ohira      1972-1974 (†1980) Jiminto
Toshio Kimura        1974      (†1983) Jiminto    
Kiichi Miyazawa      1974-1976 (†2007) Jiminto
Zentaro Kosaka       1976      (†2000) Jiminto
Iichiro Hatoyama     1976-1977 (†1993) Jiminto
Sunao Sonoda         1977-1979 (†1984) Jiminto
Saburo Okita         1979-1980 (†1993) Jiminto
Masayoshi Ito        1980-1981 (†1994) Jiminto
Sunao Sonoda         1981      (†1984) Jiminto
Yoshio Sakurauchi    1981-1982 (†2003) Jiminto
Shintaro Abe         1982-1986 (†1991) Jiminto
Tadashi Kuranari     1986-1987 (†1996) Jiminto
Sosuke Uno           1987-1989 (†1998) Jiminto
Hiroshi Mitsuzuka    1989      (†2004) Jiminto
Taro Nakayama        1989-1991         Jiminto 
Michio Watanabe      1991-1993 (†1995) Jiminto
Kabun Muto           1993      (†2009) Jiminto 
Tsutomu Hata         1993-1994 (†2017) Shinseito
Koji Kakizawa        1994              Jiminto
Yohei Kono           1994-1996         Jiminto
Yukihiko Ikeda       1996-1997 (†2004) Jiminto
Keizo Obuchi         1997-1998 (†2000) Jiminto
Masahiko Komura      1998-1999         Jiminto
Yohei Kono           1999-2001         Jiminto
Makiko Tanaka        2001-2002         Jiminto
Junichiro Koizumi    2002              Jiminto
Yoriko Kawaguchi     2002-2004         Jiminto 
Nobutaka Machimura   2004-2005 (†2015) Jiminto
Taro Aso             2005-2007         Jiminto
Nobutaka Machimura   2007      (†2015) Jiminto 
Masahiko Komura      2007-2008         Jiminto
Hirofumi Nakasone    2008-2009         Jiminto
Katsuya Okada        2009-2010         Minshuto
Seiji Maehara        2010-2011         Minshuto
Yukio Edano          2011              Minshuto (acting)
Takeaki Matsumoto    2011              Minshuto
Koichiro Genba       2011-2012         Minshuto
Fumio Kishida        2012-2017         Jiminto
Taro Kono            2017-2019         Jiminto
Toshimitsu Motegi    2019-2021         Jiminto
Fumio Kishida        2021              Jiminto
Yoshimasa Hayashi    2021-2023         Jiminto
Yoko Kamikawa        2023-             Jiminto

Ministers of Finance
Juichi Tsushima      1945      (†1967) 
Keizo Shibusawa      1945-1946 (†1963) n/p
Tanzan Ishibashi     1946-1947 (†1973) Nihon Shakaito
Tetsu Katayama       1947      (†1978) Nihon Shakaito (acting)
Shotaro Yano         1947      (†1949) Nihon Minshuto
Takeo Kurusu         1947-1948 (†1966) Ryokufukai
Tokutaro Kitamura    1948      (†1968) Nihon Minshuto
Shigeru Yoshida      1948      (†1967) Minshujiyuto (acting)
Sanroku Izumiyama    1948-1949 (†1981) Minshujiyuto
Shinzo Oya           1949      (†1980) Minshujiyuto
Hayato Ikeda         1949-1952 (†1965) Minshujiyuto, Jiyuto
Tadaharu Mukai       1952-1953 (†1982) n/p
Sankuro Ogasawara    1953-1954 (†1967) Jiyuto
Hisato Ichimada      1954-1956 (†1984) n/p
Hayato Ikeda         1956-1957 (†1965) Jiminto
Hisato Ichimada      1957-1958 (†1984) n/p
Eisaku Sato          1958-1960 (†1975) Jiminto
Mikio Mizuta         1960-1962 (†1976) Jiminto
Kakuei Tanaka        1962-1965 (†1993) Jiminto
Takeo Fukuda         1965-1966 (†1995) Jiminto
Mikio Mizuta         1966-1968 (†1976) Jiminto
Takeo Fukuda         1968-1971 (†1995) Jiminto
Mikio Mizuta         1971-1972 (†1976) Jiminto
Koshiro Ueki         1972      (†1980) Jiminto
Kiichi Aichi         1972-1973 (†1973) Jiminto
Takeo Fukuda         1973-1974 (†1995) Jiminto
Masayoshi Ohira      1974-1976 (†1980) Jiminto
Hideo Bo             1976-1977 (†1990) Jiminto
Tatsuo Murayama      1977-1978 (†2010) Jiminto
Ippei Kaneko         1978-1979 (†1989) Jiminto
Noboru Takeshita     1979-1980 (†2000) Jiminto
Michio Watanabe      1980-1982 (†1995) Jiminto
Noboru Takeshita     1982-1986 (†2000) Jiminto
Kiichi Miyazawa      1986-1988 (†2007) Jiminto
Noboru Takeshita     1988      (†2000) Jiminto (acting)
Tatsuo Murayama      1988-1989 (†2010) Jiminto
Ryutaro Hashimoto    1989-1991 (†2006) Jiminto
Toshiki Kaifu        1991      (†2022) Jiminto (acting)           
Tsutomu Hata         1991-1992 (†2017) Jiminto
Yoshiro Hayashi      1992-1993 (†2017) Jiminto
Hirohisa Fujii       1993-1994 (†2022) Shinseito
Masayoshi Takemura   1994-1996         Shinto Sakigake
Wataru Kubo          1996      (†2003) Shaminto
Hiroshi Mitsuzuka    1996-1998 (†2004) Jiminto
Ryutaro Hashimoto    1998      (†2006) Jiminto (acting)
Hikaru Matsunaga     1998              Jiminto
Kiichi Miyazawa      1998-2001 (†2007) Jiminto
Masajuro Shiokawa    2001-2003 (†2015) Jiminto
Sadakazu Tanigaki    2003-2006         Jiminto
Koji Omi             2006-2007         Jiminto
Fukushiro Nukaga     2007-2008         Jiminto
Bunmei Ibuki         2008              Jiminto
Shoichi Nakagawa     2008-2009 (†2009) Jiminto             
Kaoru Yosano         2009              Jiminto
Hirohisa Fujii       2009-2010 (†2022) Minshuto
Naoto Kan            2009-2010         Minshuto
Yoshihiko Noda       2010-2011         Minshuto
Jun Azumi            2011-2012         Minshuto
Koriki Jojima        2011-2012         Minshuto
Taro Aso             2012-2021         Jiminto
Shunichi Suzuki      2021-             Jiminto

Ministers of Defence
Fumio Kyuma          2007              Jiminto 
Yuriko Koike         2007              Jiminto
Masahiko Komura      2007              Jiminto
Shigeru Ishiba       2007-2008         Jiminto
Yoshimasa Hayashi    2008              Jiminto
Yasukazu Hamada      2008-2009         Jiminto
Toshimi Kitazawa     2009-2011         Minshuto
Yasuo Ichikawa       2011-2012         Minshuto
Naoki Tanaka         2012              Minshuto
Satoshi Morimoto     2012              n/p
Itsunori Onodera     2012-2014         Jiminto
Akinori Eto          2014              Jiminto
Gen Nakatani         2014-2016         Jiminto
Tomomi Inada         2016-2017         Jiminto
Fumio Kishida        2017              Jiminto (acting)
Itsunori Onodera     2017-2018         Jiminto
Takeshi Iwaya        2018-2019         Jiminto
Taro Kono            2019-2020         Jiminto
Nobuo Kishi          2020-2022         Jiminto
Yasukazu Hamada      2022-2023         Jiminto
Minoru Kihara        2023-             Jiminto

Presidents of Jiminto (LDP)
Ichiro Hatoyama      1955-1956 (†1959) 
Tanzan Ishibashi     1956-1957 (†1973) 
Nobusuke Kishi       1957-1960 (†1987) 
Hayato Ikeda         1960-1964 (†1965)
Eisaku Sato          1964-1972 (†1975)
Kakuei Tanaka        1972-1974 (†1993)  
Takeo Miki           1974-1976 (†1988) 
Takeo Fukuda         1976-1978 (†1995)
Masayoshi Ohira      1978-1980 (†1980)     
Zenko Suzuki         1980-1982 (†2004) 
Yasuhiro Nakasone    1982-1987 (†2019)       
Noboru Takeshita     1987-1989 (†2000) 
Sosuke Uno           1989      (†1998) 
Toshiki Kaifu        1989-1991 (†2022)         
Kiichi Miyazawa      1991-1993 (†2007)        
Yohei Kono           1993-1995         
Ryutaro Hashimoto    1995-1998 (†2006) 
Keizo Obuchi         1998-2000 (†2000) 
Yoshiro Mori         2000-2001       
Junichiro Koizumi    2001-2006
Shinzo Abe           2006-2007 (†2022)
Yasuo Fukuda         2007-2008
Taro Aso             2008-2009
Sadakazu Tanigaki    2009-2012
Shinzo Abe           2012-2020 (†2022)
Yoshihide Suga       2020-2021
Fumio Kishida        2021-

The Liberal Democratic Party was founded on 15 Nov 1955 as the merger of the Liberal Party (Jiyuto, founded in Aug 1945) and the Japan Democratic Party (Nihon Minshuto, founded in Mar 1947, disbanded in Feb 1952 and reborn in Nov 1954 as the development of the previously founded Reform Party or Kaishinto).
Presidents of Minshuto (DPJ) (1998-2016)
Naoto Kan            1998-1999        
Yukio Hatoyama       1999-2002         
Naoto Kan            2002-2004         
Katsuya Okada        2004-2005        
Seiji Maehara        2005-2006         
Ichiro Ozawa         2006-2009
Yukio Hatoyama       2009-2010
Naoto Kan            2010-2011            
Yoshihiko Noda       2011-2012
Banri Kaieda         2012-2014
Katsuya Okada        2014-2016

The Minshuto was formed on 27 Apr 1998 as a merger of four parties: a previous party also called Minshuto (f. 28 Sep 1996), the Good Governance Party (Minseito, f. 23 Jan 1998), the New Fraternity Party (Shinto Yuai, f. Jan 1998) and the Democratic Reform League (Minshu-Kaikaku-Rengo, f. Jan 1998). On 27 March 2016 the Minshuto merged with the Japan Innovation Party and Vision of Reform to form the Democratic Party (Minshinto), ceasing to exist.
Presidents of Minshinto (DP) (2016-2018)
Katsuya Okada        2016      (interim)
Renho Murata         2016-2017
Seiji Maehara        2017
Kohei Otsuka         2017-2018

The Minshinto was formed on 27 March 2016 as the merger of the Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto), the Japan Innovation Party (Ishinnoto) and Vision of Reform. On 7 May 2018 the Minshinto merged with the Party of Hope (Kibonoto) to form the Democratic Party for the People (Kokumin Minshuto), ceasing to exist.


Presidents of Kokumin Minshuto (DPP) (2018-2020)
Kohei Otsuka +	 
Yuichiro Tamaki      2018
Yuichiro Tamaki      2018-2020

The Kokumin Minshuto was formed on 7 May 2018 as the merger of the Minshinto and the Kibonoto. On 11 Sep 2020 the Kokumin Minshuto merged into the Rikken Ninshuto, ceasing to exist.


Presidents of Rikken Minshuto (CDP)
Yukio Edano          2017-2021
Kenta Izumi          2021-

Rikken Minshuto was launched on 2 Oct 2017 by splinters of the Minshinto. In September 2020 Rikken Minshuto assumed the role of a unified opposition party following its merger with the Kokumin Minshuto and adherence of independent lawmakers..

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