List of prime ministers of Japan
The Prime Minister of Japan is the chief of the executive branch of the government of Japan and leader of the Cabinet of Japan. This is a list of prime ministers of Japan, including those of the Empire of Japan, from when the first Japanese prime minister (in the modern sense), Itō Hirobumi, took office in 1885, until the present day. The office is currently held by Fumio Kishida. Those prime ministers under the Meiji Constitution had a mandate from the Emperor. The "electoral mandates" shown are for the lower house of the Imperial  Diet that was not constitutionally guaranteed to have any influence on the appointment of the Prime Minister. Daijō-kan. The office of Daijō-daijin (太政大臣, Chancellor of the Realm of Japan) was the equivalent of what would become the office of Prime Minister. It was an ancient role which had been discontinued in the 18th century and briefly revived during the Meiji era. Daijō-daijin. The office of Daijō-daijin was abolished in December 1885 with the appointment of Itō Hirobumi in the new position of Prime Minister. Living former prime ministers. As of 2022, eleven former prime ministers of  Japan are still alive. The most recent death of a former prime minister was that of Toshiki Kaifu (who was prime minister in 1989–1991) on 9 January 2022, aged 91.