# President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

The president of the Liberal Democratic Party (自由民主党総裁, Jiyū-Minshutō Sōsai) is the highest position within Japan's Liberal Democratic Party. The current holder of the position is Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, who was elected to the position on 27 September 2024, following his victory in the party's presidential election. The previous leader, Fumio Kishida announced his resignation on 14 August 2024, thereby not seeking reelection.
Due to the dominance of the LDP in Japanese politics, all twenty-four presidents except two (Yohei Kono and Sadakazu Tanigaki) have also been the prime minister of Japan.

## Elections

To be a candidate for the president, one must be a LDP member of the National Diet and must receive at least 20 nominations from other LDP members of the National Diet. The LDP selects its leader via a two-round election involving both LDP members of the Diet and dues-paying party members from across Japan. In the first round, all LDP members of the Diet cast one vote while party member votes are translated proportionally into votes equaling the other half of the total ballots. If any candidate wins a majority (over 50%) of votes in the first round, that candidate is elected President.
If no candidate receives a majority of votes in the first round, a runoff is held immediately between the top two candidates. In the runoff, all Diet members vote again while the 47 prefectural chapters of the LDP get one vote each, with the result of the latter votes determined using the first round results of party members in each prefecture. The candidate who wins the most votes in the runoff is then elected President.
The party's secretary-general can decide to organise the election with the rule of the second round only.

### Term limits

According to Article 81 of the LDP Constitution, the president's term of office is three years, renewable twice consecutively. Limits have fluctuated over the years since LDP's founding:
| Period | Term of office | Term limits |
| 1955–1972 | 2 years | Unlimited |
| 1972–1974 | 3 years | Unlimited |
| 1974–1978 | 3 years | Renewable once |
| 1978–2003 | 2 years | Renewable once |
| 2003–2017 | 3 years | Renewable once |
| 2017–present | 3 years | Renewable twice |

## Powers

According to the LDP constitution, the president "shall assume supreme responsibility for the Party, and represent and oversee the Party". The president appoints the secretary-general, members of Finance Committee, and the director of the Forward Policy Study Unit, all with the approval of the General Council. The president also appoints the chairpersons of the Party Organization Headquarters, the Public Relations Headquarters, the Policy Research Council the Election Strategy Council, and the Personnel Committee, as well as the director of the Forward Policy Study Unit, all with the approval of the General Council. The president can optionally appoint a vice president with the approval of the Party Convention.
The president convenes and presides over the work of the LDP Board, which includes other high-ranking members of the LDP. With the consent of the General Council, the president annually convenes the Party Convention. The president is ex officio the director-general of the Party's Election Strategy Headquarters, tasked with formulating the LDP's election strategies, and the chancellor of the Central Institute of Politics.

## Presidents of the party

| No. | President (Lifespan) | Portrait | Constituency or title | Took office | Left office | Election results | Government | Government | Government | Government |
| No. | President (Lifespan) | Portrait | Constituency or title | Took office | Left office | Election results | Party | Party | Prime Minister | Term |
| Preceding parties: Liberal Party (1950) and Democratic Party (1954) |||||||||||
| Interim Leadership Committee (1955–1956) |||||||||||
| — | Ichirō Hatoyama 鳩山 一郎 (1883–1959) | | Rep for Tokyo 1st | 15 November 1955 | 5 April 1956 | None | | LDP | himself | 1954–1956 |
| — | Bukichi Miki 三木 武吉 (1884–1956) | | Rep for Kagawa 1st | 15 November 1955 | 5 April 1956 | None | | LDP | Hatoyama I. | 1954–1956 |
| — | Banboku Ōno 大野 伴睦 (1890–1964) | | Rep for Gifu 1st | 15 November 1955 | 5 April 1956 | None | | LDP | Hatoyama I. | 1954–1956 |
| — | Taketora Ogata 緒方 竹虎 (1888–1956) | | Rep for Fukuoka 1st | 15 November 1955 | 28 January 1956 (Died in office) | None | | LDP | Hatoyama I. | 1954–1956 |
| — | Tsuruhei Matsuno 松野 鶴平 (1883–1962) | | Cou for Kumamoto | 10 February 1956 | 5 April 1956 | None | | LDP | Hatoyama I. | 1954–1956 |
| President (1956–present) |||||||||||
| 1 | Ichirō Hatoyama 鳩山 一郎 (1883–1959) | | Rep for Tokyo 1st | 5 April 1956 | 14 December 1956 | Apr. 1956 Ichirō Hatoyama – 394 Nobusuke Kishi – 4 Others – 15 | | LDP | himself | 1954–1956 |
| 2 | Tanzan Ishibashi 石橋 湛山 (1884–1973) | | Rep for Shizuoka 2nd | 14 December 1956 | 21 March 1957 | Dec. 1956 1st round Nobusuke Kishi – 223 Tanzan Ishibashi – 151 Mitsujiro Ishii – 137Dec. 1956 2nd round Tanzan Ishibashi – 258 Nobusuke Kishi – 251 | | LDP | himself | 1956–1957 |
| 3 | Nobusuke Kishi 岸 信介 (1896–1987) | | Rep for Yamaguchi 1st | 21 March 1957 | 14 July 1960 | 1957 Nobusuke Kishi – 471 Kenzō Matsumura – 2 Tokutaro Kitamura – 1 Mitsujirō Ishii – 11959 Nobusuke Kishi – 320 Kenzō Matsumura – 166 Others – 5 | | LDP | himself | 1957–1960 |
| 4 | Hayato Ikeda 池田 勇人 (1899–1965) | | Rep for Hiroshima 2nd | 14 July 1960 | 1 December 1964 | 1960 1st Round Hayato Ikeda – 246 Mitsujirō Ishii – 194 Aiichirō Fujiyama – 49 Others – 71960 2nd Round Hayato Ikeda – 302 Mitsujirō Ishii – 1941962 Hayato Ikeda – 391 Eisaku Satō – 17 Others – 20Jul. 1964 Hayato Ikeda – 242 Eisaku Satō – 160 Aiichirō Fujiyama – 72 Hirokichi Nadao – 1 | | LDP | himself | 1960–1964 |
| 5 | Eisaku Satō 佐藤 栄作 (1901–1975) | | Rep for Yamaguchi 2nd | 1 December 1964 | 5 July 1972 | Nov. 1964 Eisaku Satō – Y Aiichirō Fujiyama – N Ichirō Kōno – N1966 Eisaku Satō – 289 Aiichirō Fujiyama – 89 Shigesaburō Maeo – 47 Hirokichi Nadao – 11 Uichi Noda – 9 Others – 51968 Eisaku Satō – 249 Takeo Miki – 107 Shigesaburō Maeo – 95 Others – 251970 Eisaku Satō – 353 Takeo Miki – 111 Others – 3 | | LDP | himself | 1964–1972 |
| 6 | Kakuei Tanaka 田中 角榮 (1918–1993) | | Rep for Niigata 3rd | 5 July 1972 | 4 December 1974 | 1972 Tanaka Kakuei – 282 Takeo Fukuda – 180 | | LDP | himself | 1972–1974 |
| 7 | Takeo Miki 三木 武夫 (1907–1988) | | Rep for Tokushima at-large | 4 December 1974 | 23 December 1976 | 1974 Takeo Miki – Y Takeo Fukuda – N Masayoshi Ōhira – N Yasuhiro Nakasone – N | | LDP | himself | 1974–1976 |
| 8 | Takeo Fukuda 福田 赳夫 (1905–1995) | | Rep for Gunma 3rd | 23 December 1976 | 1 December 1978 | 1976 Takeo Fukuda – Y Masayoshi Ōhira – N | | LDP | himself | 1976–1978 |
| 9 | Masayoshi Ōhira 大平 正芳 (1910–1980) | | Rep for Kagawa 2nd | 1 December 1978 | 12 June 1980 (Died in office) | 1978 1st round Masayoshi Ōhira – 748 Fukuda Takeo – 638 Yasuhiro Nakasone – 93 Toshio Kōmoto – 461978 2nd round Unopposed | | LDP | himself | 1978–1980 |
| — | Eiichi Nishimura 西村 英一 (1897–1987) Acting President | | Rep for Ōita 2nd | 12 June 1980 | 15 July 1980 | Acting | | LDP | (Ito M.) | 1980; Acting |
| 10 | Zenkō Suzuki 鈴木 善幸 (1911–2004) | | Rep for Iwate 1st | 15 July 1980 | 25 November 1982 | Jul. 1980 Zenko Suzuki – Y Kiichi Miyazawa – N Yasuhiro Nakasone – N Toshio Kōmoto – NNov. 1980 Unopposed | | LDP | himself | 1980–1982 |
| 11 | Yasuhiro Nakasone 中曽根 康弘 (1918–2019) | | Rep for Gunma 3rd | 25 November 1982 | 31 October 1987 | 1982 1st Round Yasuhiro Nakasone – 57.6% (559,673) Toshio Kōmoto – 27.2% (265,078) Shintarō Abe – 8.2% (80,443) Ichirō Nakagawa – 6.8% (66,041)1982 2nd Round Unopposed1984 Unopposed walkover1986 1-year extension | | LDP | himself | 1982–1987 |
| 12 | Noboru Takeshita 竹下 登 (1924–2000) | | Rep for Shimane at-large | 31 October 1987 | 2 June 1989 | 1987 Noboru Takeshita – Y Shintarō Abe – N Kiichi Miyazawa – N | | LDP | himself | 1987–1989 |
| 13 | Sōsuke Uno 宇野 宗佑 (1922–1998) | | Rep for Shiga at-large | 2 June 1989 | 8 August 1989 | Jun. 1989 Sōsuke Uno – Y Masayoshi Itō – N | | LDP | himself | Jun–Aug 1989 |
| 14 | Toshiki Kaifu 海部 俊樹 (1931–2022) | | Rep for Aichi 3rd | 8 August 1989 | 30 October 1991 | Aug. 1989 1st round Toshiki Kaifu – 279 Yoshirō Hayashi – 120 Shintarō Ishihara – 48Aug. 1989 2nd round Unopposed | | LDP | himself | 1989–1991 |
| 15 | Kiichi Miyazawa 宮澤 喜一 (1919–2007) | | Rep for Hiroshima 3rd | 31 October 1991 | 29 July 1993 | 1991 Kiichi Miyazawa – 285 Michio Wantanabe – 120 Hiroshi Mitsuzuka – 87 | | LDP | himself | 1991–1993 |
| 16 | Yōhei Kōno 河野 洋平 (born 1937) | | Rep for Kanagawa 5th | 29 July 1993 | 1 October 1995 | 1993 1st round Yōhei Kōno – 208 Michio Wantanabe – 1591993 2nd round Unopposed | | JNP | Hosokawa | 1993–1994 |
| 16 | Yōhei Kōno 河野 洋平 (born 1937) | | Rep for Kanagawa 5th | 29 July 1993 | 1 October 1995 | 1993 1st round Yōhei Kōno – 208 Michio Wantanabe – 1591993 2nd round Unopposed | | JRP | Hata | Apr–Jun 1994 |
| 16 | Yōhei Kōno 河野 洋平 (born 1937) | | Rep for Kanagawa 5th | 29 July 1993 | 1 October 1995 | 1993 1st round Yōhei Kōno – 208 Michio Wantanabe – 1591993 2nd round Unopposed | | JSP | Murayama (coalition) | 1994–1996 |
| 17 | Ryutaro Hashimoto 橋本 龍太郎 (1937–2006) | | Rep for Okayama 4th | 1 October 1995 | 24 July 1998 | 1995 Ryutaro Hashimoto – 304 Junichiro Koizumi – 871997 Unopposed walkover | | JSP | Murayama (coalition) | 1994–1996 |
| 17 | Ryutaro Hashimoto 橋本 龍太郎 (1937–2006) | | Rep for Okayama 4th | 1 October 1995 | 24 July 1998 | 1995 Ryutaro Hashimoto – 304 Junichiro Koizumi – 871997 Unopposed walkover | | LDP | himself | 1996–1998 |
| 18 | Keizō Obuchi 小渕 恵三 (1937–2000) | | Rep for Gunma 5th | 24 July 1998 | 5 April 2000 | 1998 Keizō Obuchi – 225 Seiroku Kajiyama – 102 Junichiro Koizumi – 841999 Keizō Obuchi – 350 Koichi Kato – 113 Taku Yamasaki – 51 | | LDP | himself | 1998–2000 |
| 19 | Yoshirō Mori 森 喜朗 (born 1937) | | Rep for Ishikawa 2nd | 5 April 2000 | 24 April 2001 | 2000 Yoshirō Mori – Y Mikio Aoki – N Masakuni Murakami – N Hiromu Nonaka – N Shizuka Kamei – N | | LDP | himself | 2000–2001 |
| 20 | Junichiro Koizumi 小泉 純一郎 (born 1942) | | Rep for Kanagawa 11th | 24 April 2001 | 20 September 2006 | 2001 1st Round Junichiro Koizumi – 298 Ryutaro Hashimoto – 155 Tarō Asō – 312001 2nd Round Unopposed2003 Junichiro Koizumi – 339 Shizuka Kamei – 139 Takao Fujii – 65 Masahiko Kōmura – 54 | | LDP | himself | 2001–2006 |
| 21 | Shinzo Abe 安倍 晋三 (1954–2022) | | Rep for Yamaguchi 4th | 20 September 2006 | 23 September 2007 | 2006 Shinzo Abe – 464 Tarō Asō – 136 Sadakazu Tanigaki – 102 | | LDP | himself | 2006–2007 |
| 22 | Yasuo Fukuda 福田 康夫 (born 1936) | | Rep for Gunma 4th | 23 September 2007 | 22 September 2008 | 2007 Yasuo Fukuda – 330 Tarō Asō – 197 | | LDP | himself | 2007–2008 |
| 23 | Tarō Asō 麻生 太郎 (born 1940) | | Rep for Fukuoka 8th | 22 September 2008 | 28 September 2009 | 2008 Tarō Asō – 351 Kaoru Yosano – 66 Yuriko Koike – 46 Nobuteru Ishihara – 37 Shigeru Ishiba – 25 | | LDP | himself | 2008–2009 |
| 24 | Sadakazu Tanigaki 谷垣 禎一 (born 1945) | | Rep for Kyoto 5th | 28 September 2009 | 26 September 2012 | 2009 Sadakazu Tanigaki – 300 Taro Kono – 144 Yasutoshi Nishimura – 54 | | DPJ | Hatoyama Y. | 2009–2010 |
| 24 | Sadakazu Tanigaki 谷垣 禎一 (born 1945) | | Rep for Kyoto 5th | 28 September 2009 | 26 September 2012 | 2009 Sadakazu Tanigaki – 300 Taro Kono – 144 Yasutoshi Nishimura – 54 | | DPJ | Kan | 2010–2011 |
| 24 | Sadakazu Tanigaki 谷垣 禎一 (born 1945) | | Rep for Kyoto 5th | 28 September 2009 | 26 September 2012 | 2009 Sadakazu Tanigaki – 300 Taro Kono – 144 Yasutoshi Nishimura – 54 | | DPJ | Noda | 2011–2012 |
| 25 (21) | Shinzo Abe 安倍 晋三 (1954–2022) | | Rep for Yamaguchi 4th | 26 September 2012 | 14 September 2020 | 2012 1st Round Shinzo Abe – 141 Shigeru Ishiba – 199 Nobuteru Ishihara – 96 Nobutaka Machimura 34 Yoshimasa Hayashi – 272012 2nd Round Shinzo Abe – 108 Shigeru Ishiba – 892015 Unopposed walkover2018 Shinzo Abe – 553 Shigeru Ishiba – 254 | | DPJ | Noda | 2011–2012 |
| 25 (21) | Shinzo Abe 安倍 晋三 (1954–2022) | | Rep for Yamaguchi 4th | 26 September 2012 | 14 September 2020 | 2012 1st Round Shinzo Abe – 141 Shigeru Ishiba – 199 Nobuteru Ishihara – 96 Nobutaka Machimura 34 Yoshimasa Hayashi – 272012 2nd Round Shinzo Abe – 108 Shigeru Ishiba – 892015 Unopposed walkover2018 Shinzo Abe – 553 Shigeru Ishiba – 254 | | LDP | himself | 2012–2020 |
| 26 | Yoshihide Suga 菅 義偉 (born 1948) | | Rep for Kanagawa 2nd | 14 September 2020 | 29 September 2021 | 2020 Yoshihide Suga – 377 Fumio Kishida – 89 Shigeru Ishiba – 68 | | LDP | himself | 2020–2021 |
| 27 | Fumio Kishida 岸田 文雄 (born 1957) | | Rep for Hiroshima 1st | 29 September 2021 | 27 September 2024 | 2021 1st Round Fumio Kishida – 256 Taro Kono – 255 Sanae Takaichi – 188 Seiko Noda – 632021 2nd Round Fumio Kishida – 257 Taro Kono – 170 | | LDP | himself | 2021–2024 |
| 28 | Shigeru Ishiba 石破 茂 (born 1957) | | Rep for Tottori 1st | 27 September 2024 | Incumbent | 2024 1st Round Sanae Takaichi – 181 Shigeru Ishiba – 154 Shinjirō Koizumi – 136 Yoshimasa Hayashi – 65 Takayuki Kobayashi – 60 Toshimitsu Motegi – 47 Yōko Kamikawa – 40 Taro Kono – 30 Katsunobu Katō – 222024 2nd Round Shigeru Ishiba – 215 Sanae Takaichi – 194 | | LDP | himself | 2024–present |

## Presidential elections

Bold indicates the winners.
| Date | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | Spoilt vote |
| 5 April 1956 | 5 April 1956 | Ichirō Hatoyama | Nobusuke Kishi | Jōji Hayashi | Tanzan Ishibashi Mitsujirō Ishii Shūji Masutani Banboku Ōno | Ichirō Kōno Mamoru Shigemitsu Tsuruhei Matsuno Hayato Ikeda | | | | | 5 |
| 5 April 1956 | 5 April 1956 | 394 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | | | | | 5 |
| 14 December 1956 | First round | Nobusuke Kishi | Tanzan Ishibashi | Mitsujirō Ishii | | | | | | | 0 |
| 14 December 1956 | First round | 223 | 151 | 137 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 14 December 1956 | Runoff | Tanzan Ishibashi | Nobusuke Kishi | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 14 December 1956 | Runoff | 258 | 251 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 21 March 1957 | 21 March 1957 | Nobusuke Kishi | Kenzō Matsumura | Mitsujirō Ishii Tokutarō Kitamura | | | | | | | 0 |
| 21 March 1957 | 21 March 1957 | 471 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 14 January 1959 | 14 January 1959 | Nobusuke Kishi | Kenzō Matsumura | Banboku Ōno Shigeru Yoshida Mitsujirō Ishii Shūji Masutani Eisaku Satō | | | | | | | 0 |
| 14 January 1959 | 14 January 1959 | 320 | 166 | 1 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 14 July 1960 | First round | Hayato Ikeda | Mitsujirō Ishii | Aiichirō Fujiyama | Kenzō Matsumura | Banboku Ōno | | | | | 0 |
| 14 July 1960 | First round | 246 | 196 | 49 | 5 | 1 | | | | | 0 |
| 14 July 1960 | Runoff | Hayato Ikeda | Mitsujirō Ishii | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 14 July 1960 | Runoff | 302 | 194 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 14 July 1962 | 14 July 1962 | Hayato Ikeda | Eisaku Satō | Hisato Ichimada | Nobusuke Kishi | Aiichirō Fujiyama | Shigeru Yoshida Takeo Fukuda | Hitoshi Takahashi Matsutarō Shōriki | | | 0 |
| 14 July 1962 | 14 July 1962 | 391 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | | | 0 |
| 10 July 1964 | 10 July 1964 | Hayato Ikeda | Eisaku Satō | Aiichirō Fujiyama | Hirokichi Nadao | | | | | | 0 |
| 10 July 1964 | 10 July 1964 | 242 | 160 | 72 | 1 | | | | | | 0 |
| 1 December 1964 | 1 December 1964 | Eisaku Satō | One candidate (elected by Ikeda) | One candidate (elected by Ikeda) | One candidate (elected by Ikeda) | One candidate (elected by Ikeda) | One candidate (elected by Ikeda) | One candidate (elected by Ikeda) | One candidate (elected by Ikeda) | One candidate (elected by Ikeda) | One candidate (elected by Ikeda) |
| 1 December 1966 | 1 December 1966 | Eisaku Satō | Aiichirō Fujiyama | Shigesaburō Maeo | Hirokichi Nadao | Uichi Noda | Zentarō Kosaka | Nobusuke Kishi Kenzō Matsumura Isamu Murakami | | | 0 |
| 1 December 1966 | 1 December 1966 | 289 | 89 | 47 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 1 | | | 0 |
| 27 November 1968 | 27 November 1968 | Eisaku Satō | Takeo Miki | Shigesaburō Maeo | Aiichirō Fujiyama | | | | | | 0 |
| 27 November 1968 | 27 November 1968 | 249 | 107 | 95 | 1 | | | | | | 0 |
| 29 October 1970 | 29 October 1970 | Eisaku Satō | Takeo Miki | Saburō Chiba Aiichirō Fujiyama Tokuma Utsunomiya | | | | | | | 0 |
| 29 October 1970 | 29 October 1970 | 353 | 111 | 1 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 5 July 1972 | First round | Kakuei Tanaka | Takeo Fukuda | Masayoshi Ōhira | Takeo Miki | | | | | | 7 |
| 5 July 1972 | First round | 156 | 150 | 101 | 69 | | | | | | 7 |
| 5 July 1972 | Runoff | Kakuei Tanaka | Takeo Fukuda | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 5 July 1972 | Runoff | 282 | 190 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 4 December 1974 | 4 December 1974 | Takeo Miki | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Etsusaburō Shiina) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Etsusaburō Shiina) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Etsusaburō Shiina) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Etsusaburō Shiina) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Etsusaburō Shiina) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Etsusaburō Shiina) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Etsusaburō Shiina) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Etsusaburō Shiina) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Etsusaburō Shiina) |
| 23 December 1976 | 23 December 1976 | Takeo Fukuda | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) |
| 26 November 1978 | Primaries | Masayoshi Ōhira | Takeo Fukuda | Yasuhiro Nakasone | Toshio Kōmoto | | | | | | 0 |
| 26 November 1978 | Primaries | 748 pts | 638 pts | 93 pts | 46 pts | | | | | | 0 |
| 26 November 1978 | Runoff | Masayoshi Ōhira | 2nd candidate withdrew | 2nd candidate withdrew | 2nd candidate withdrew | 2nd candidate withdrew | 2nd candidate withdrew | 2nd candidate withdrew | 2nd candidate withdrew | 2nd candidate withdrew | 2nd candidate withdrew |
| 15 July 1980 | 15 July 1980 | Zenkō Suzuki | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Eiichi Nishimura) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Eiichi Nishimura) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Eiichi Nishimura) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Eiichi Nishimura) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Eiichi Nishimura) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Eiichi Nishimura) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Eiichi Nishimura) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Eiichi Nishimura) | One candidate (elected by Vice-President Eiichi Nishimura) |
| 27 November 1980 | 27 November 1980 | Zenkō Suzuki | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Suzuki) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Suzuki) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Suzuki) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Suzuki) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Suzuki) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Suzuki) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Suzuki) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Suzuki) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Suzuki) |
| 24 November 1982 | Primaries | Yasuhiro Nakasone | Toshio Kōmoto | Shintaro Abe | Ichiro Nakagawa | | | | | | 0 |
| 24 November 1982 | Primaries | 559673 | 265078 | 80443 | 66041 | | | | | | 0 |
| 24 November 1982 | Runoff | Yasuhiro Nakasone | 2nd and below candidates withdrew | 2nd and below candidates withdrew | 2nd and below candidates withdrew | 2nd and below candidates withdrew | 2nd and below candidates withdrew | 2nd and below candidates withdrew | 2nd and below candidates withdrew | 2nd and below candidates withdrew | 2nd and below candidates withdrew |
| 30 October 1984 | 30 October 1984 | Yasuhiro Nakasone | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Nakasone) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Nakasone) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Nakasone) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Nakasone) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Nakasone) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Nakasone) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Nakasone) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Nakasone) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Nakasone) |
| 11 September 1986 | 11 September 1986 | Yasuhiro Nakasone | Extension of term of office by one year (Unanimously re-elected Nakasone's term of office at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | Extension of term of office by one year (Unanimously re-elected Nakasone's term of office at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | Extension of term of office by one year (Unanimously re-elected Nakasone's term of office at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | Extension of term of office by one year (Unanimously re-elected Nakasone's term of office at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | Extension of term of office by one year (Unanimously re-elected Nakasone's term of office at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | Extension of term of office by one year (Unanimously re-elected Nakasone's term of office at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | Extension of term of office by one year (Unanimously re-elected Nakasone's term of office at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | Extension of term of office by one year (Unanimously re-elected Nakasone's term of office at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | Extension of term of office by one year (Unanimously re-elected Nakasone's term of office at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) |
| 31 October 1987 | 31 October 1987 | Noboru Takeshita | One candidate (elected by Nakasone) | One candidate (elected by Nakasone) | One candidate (elected by Nakasone) | One candidate (elected by Nakasone) | One candidate (elected by Nakasone) | One candidate (elected by Nakasone) | One candidate (elected by Nakasone) | One candidate (elected by Nakasone) | One candidate (elected by Nakasone) |
| 2 June 1989 | 2 June 1989 | Sōsuke Uno | One candidate (elected by Takeshita) | One candidate (elected by Takeshita) | One candidate (elected by Takeshita) | One candidate (elected by Takeshita) | One candidate (elected by Takeshita) | One candidate (elected by Takeshita) | One candidate (elected by Takeshita) | One candidate (elected by Takeshita) | One candidate (elected by Takeshita) |
| 8 August 1989 | 8 August 1989 | Toshiki Kaifu | Yoshiro Hayashi | Shintaro Ishihara | | | | | | | 0 |
| 8 August 1989 | 8 August 1989 | 279 | 120 | 48 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 31 October 1989 | 31 October 1989 | Toshiki Kaifu | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kaifu) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kaifu) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kaifu) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kaifu) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kaifu) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kaifu) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kaifu) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kaifu) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kaifu) |
| 27 October 1991 | 27 October 1991 | Kiichi Miyazawa | Michio Watanabe | Hiroshi Mitsuzuka | | | | | | | 0 |
| 27 October 1991 | 27 October 1991 | 285 | 120 | 87 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 30 July 1993 | 30 July 1993 | Yōhei Kōno | Michio Watanabe | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 30 July 1993 | 30 July 1993 | 208 | 159 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 30 September 1993 | 30 September 1993 | Yōhei Kōno | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kōno) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kōno) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kōno) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kōno) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kōno) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kōno) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kōno) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kōno) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Kōno) |
| 22 September 1995 | 22 September 1995 | Ryutaro Hashimoto | Junichiro Koizumi | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 22 September 1995 | 22 September 1995 | 304 | 87 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 11 September 1997 | 11 September 1997 | Ryutaro Hashimoto | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Hashimoto) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Hashimoto) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Hashimoto) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Hashimoto) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Hashimoto) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Hashimoto) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Hashimoto) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Hashimoto) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Hashimoto) |
| 24 July 1998 | 24 July 1998 | Keizō Obuchi | Seiroku Kajiyama | Junichiro Koizumi | | | | | | | 0 |
| 24 July 1998 | 24 July 1998 | 225 | 102 | 84 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 21 September 1999 | 21 September 1999 | Keizō Obuchi | Koichi Kato | Taku Yamasaki | | | | | | | 0 |
| 21 September 1999 | 21 September 1999 | 350 | 113 | 51 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 5 April 2000 | 5 April 2000 | Yoshirō Mori | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) | One candidate (elected by discussion at the general meeting of LDP National Diet members of both houses) |
| 24 April 2001 | 24 April 2001 | Junichiro Koizumi | Ryutaro Hashimoto | Tarō Asō | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | 3 |
| 24 April 2001 | 24 April 2001 | 298 | 155 | 31 | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | (Shizuka Kamei withdrew after the ballot counting) | 3 |
| 10 August 2001 | 10 August 2001 | Junichiro Koizumi | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Koizumi) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Koizumi) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Koizumi) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Koizumi) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Koizumi) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Koizumi) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Koizumi) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Koizumi) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Koizumi) |
| 20 September 2003 | 20 September 2003 | Junichiro Koizumi | Shizuka Kamei | Takao Fujii | Masahiko Kōmura | | | | | | 0 |
| 20 September 2003 | 20 September 2003 | 399 | 139 | 65 | 54 | | | | | | 0 |
| 20 September 2006 (Detail) | 20 September 2006 (Detail) | Shinzo Abe | Tarō Asō | Sadakazu Tanigaki | | | | | | | 1 |
| 20 September 2006 (Detail) | 20 September 2006 (Detail) | 464 | 136 | 102 | | | | | | | 1 |
| 23 September 2007 (Detail) | 23 September 2007 (Detail) | Yasuo Fukuda | Tarō Asō | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 23 September 2007 (Detail) | 23 September 2007 (Detail) | 330 | 197 | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 22 September 2008 (Detail) | 22 September 2008 (Detail) | Tarō Asō | Kaoru Yosano | Yuriko Koike | Nobuteru Ishihara | Shigeru Ishiba | | | | | 2 |
| 22 September 2008 (Detail) | 22 September 2008 (Detail) | 351 | 66 | 46 | 37 | 25 | | | | | 2 |
| 28 September 2009 (Detail) | 28 September 2009 (Detail) | Sadakazu Tanigaki | Taro Kono | Yasutoshi Nishimura | | | | | | | 1 |
| 28 September 2009 (Detail) | 28 September 2009 (Detail) | 300 | 144 | 54 | | | | | | | 1 |
| 26 September 2012 (Detail) | First round | Shigeru Ishiba | Shinzo Abe | Nobuteru Ishihara | Nobutaka Machimura | Yoshimasa Hayashi | | | | | 1 |
| 26 September 2012 (Detail) | First round | 199 | 141 | 96 | 34 | 27 | | | | | 1 |
| 26 September 2012 (Detail) | Runoff | Shinzo Abe | Shigeru Ishiba | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 26 September 2012 (Detail) | Runoff | 108 | 89 | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 8 September 2015 (Detail) | 8 September 2015 (Detail) | Shinzo Abe | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Abe) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Abe) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Abe) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Abe) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Abe) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Abe) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Abe) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Abe) | One candidate (re-elected without voting in the leadership election due to the expiration of the term of office of Abe) |
| 20 September 2018 (Detail) | 20 September 2018 (Detail) | Shinzo Abe | Shigeru Ishiba | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 20 September 2018 (Detail) | 20 September 2018 (Detail) | 553 | 254 | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 14 September 2020 (Detail) | 14 September 2020 (Detail) | Yoshihide Suga | Fumio Kishida | Shigeru Ishiba | | | | | | | 0 |
| 14 September 2020 (Detail) | 14 September 2020 (Detail) | 377 | 89 | 68 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 29 September 2021 (Detail) | First round | Fumio Kishida | Taro Kono | Sanae Takaichi | Seiko Noda | | | | | | 1 |
| 29 September 2021 (Detail) | First round | 256 | 255 | 188 | 63 | | | | | | 1 |
| 29 September 2021 (Detail) | Runoff | Fumio Kishida | Taro Kono | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 29 September 2021 (Detail) | Runoff | 257 | 170 | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 27 September 2024 (Detail) | First round | Sanae Takaichi | Shigeru Ishiba | Shinjirō Koizumi | Yoshimasa Hayashi | Takayuki Kobayashi | Toshimitsu Motegi | Yōko Kamikawa | Taro Kono | Katsunobu Katō | 1 |
| 27 September 2024 (Detail) | First round | 181 | 154 | 136 | 65 | 60 | 47 | 40 | 30 | 22 | 1 |
| 27 September 2024 (Detail) | Runoff | Shigeru Ishiba | Sanae Takaichi | | | | | | | | |
| 27 September 2024 (Detail) | Runoff | 215 | 194 | | | | | | | | |