Prime Minister of Japan 1

Prime Minister of Japan

Prime Minister of Japan

Official Emblem of the Prime Minister of Japan

IncumbentShinzō Abe

since 26 December 2012

Style His Excellency

Residence Kantei

Appointer The Emperor

Term length Four years or less. (The Cabinet shall resign en masse after a general election of members of the House ofRepresentatives. Their term of office is four years and can be terminated earlier. No limits are imposed on total times orlength of Prime Minister tenures of the same person.) The Prime Minister is, by convention, the leader of the victoriousparty.

Inaugural holder Itō Hirobumi

Formation 22 December 1885

Website www.kantei.go.jp [1]

Prime Minister of Japan 2

Japan

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The Prime Minister of Japan (内 閣 総 理 大 臣 Naikaku-sōri-daijin) is the head of government of Japan. He isappointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members and must enjoy theconfidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office. He is the head of the Cabinet and appoints anddismisses the Ministers of State; the literal translation of the Japanese name for the office is Minister for theComprehensive Administration of the Cabinet or Minister who Presides over the Cabinet.The office was created in 1885, four years before the enactment of the Meiji Constitution. It took its current formwith the adoption of the current constitution in 1947.The current Prime Minister is Shinzō Abe, who took office on 26 December 2012.

AppointmentThe Prime Minister is designated by both houses of the Diet, before the conduct of any other business. For thatpurpose, each conducts a ballot under the run-off system. If the two houses choose different individuals, then a jointcommittee of both houses is appointed to agree on a common candidate. Ultimately, however, if the two houses donot agree within ten days, the decision of the House of Representatives is deemed to be that of the Diet. Therefore,the House of Representatives can theoretically ensure the appointment of any Prime Minister it wishes.[2] Thecandidate is then presented with their commission, and formally appointed to office by the Emperor.[3]

Qualifications•• Must be a member of either house of the Diet. (This implies a minimum age of 25 and a Japanese nationality

requirement.)• Must be a "civilian". This excludes serving members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, as well as any former

member of the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy, who are strongly connected to militaristthought. Note that former military officers from the World War II-era may be appointed prime minister despitethe "civilian" requirement, Yasuhiro Nakasone being one prominent example.

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Role

Constitutional roles• Exercises "control and supervision" over the entire executive branch.[4]

• Presents bills to the Diet on behalf of the Cabinet.[5]

• Signs laws and Cabinet orders (along with other members of the Cabinet).[6]

• Appoints all Cabinet ministers, and can dismiss them at any time.[7]

• May permit legal action to be taken against Cabinet ministers.[8]

• Must make reports on domestic and foreign relations to the Diet.[5]

• Must report to the Diet upon demand to provide answers or explanations.[9]

Statutory roles• Presides over meetings of the Cabinet.[10]

• Commander in chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.[11]

• May override a court injunction against an administrative act upon showing of cause.[12]

Insignia

Standard of Prime Minister Emblem of the Prime Minister Crest for the Prime Minister

HistoryAfter the Meiji Restoration, the Daijō-kan system, which was used in the Nara period, was adopted as the Japanesegovernment entity. Political powers of their leader, Daijō Daijin and his aides, Sadaijin and Nadaijin wereambiguous and frequently conflicted with other positions such as Sangi. In the 1880s, Itō Hirobumi, then one ofSangi, started to examine the reformation of the governmental organization. In 1882, Ito and his staff, Itō Miyoji andSaionji Kinmochi, traveled to Europe and investigated constitutions in constitutional monarchies, the British Empireand the German Empire. After his return to Japan, Ito urged the need of a Constitution and a modern governmentalsystem and persuaded conservatives to approve his plan.On December 22, 1885, in the Daijō-kan order No. 69, abolition of Daijō-kan and the induction of the PrimeMinister (内 閣 総 理 大 臣) and his cabinet were published.

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Official office and residence

Kantei, the Office of the Prime Minister

The Office of the Prime Minister of Japan is called the Kantei (官 邸).The original Kantei served from 1929 until 2002, when a new buildingwas inaugurated to serve as the current Kantei.[13] The old Kantei wasthen converted into the Official Residence, or Kōtei (公 邸).[] TheKōtei lies to the southwest of the Kantei, and is linked by a walkway.[]

Honours and emoluments

Until the mid-1930s, the Prime Minister of Japan was normally granteda title in the peerage (kazoku) usually just prior to entering office if hehad not already been ennobled. Titles were usually bestowed in theranks of count, viscount or baron, depending on the relative seniority and status of the Prime Minister. The twohighest ranks, marquess and prince, were only conferred upon extremely senior statesmen, and were not conferredupon a Prime Minister after 1916. The last Prime Minister who was a peer was Baron Kijuro Shidehara, who servedas Prime Minister from October 1945 to May 1946. The peerage was abolished by the Supreme Commander AlliedPowers in October 1947.

Depending on tenure, the Prime Minister is ranked in the first place in accordance, or second. Certain eminent PrimeMinisters have been awarded the Order of the Chrysanthemum, typically in the degree of Grand Cordon. The highesthonour in the Japanese honours system, the Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum, has only been conferredupon select Prime Ministers and eminent statesmen, and rarely when they were still alive; the last such award to aliving Prime Minister was to Saionji Kinmochi in 1928. More often, the Order of the Chrysanthemum has been aposthumous award; the Collar of the order was last awarded, posthumously, to former Prime Minister Sato Eisaku inJune 1975. The most recent posthumous award of the Grand Cordon was to Hashimoto Ryutaro in July 2006.Currently, Nakasone Yasuhiro is the only living former Prime Minister to hold the Grand Cordon of the Order of theChrysanthemum, which he received in 1997.Since the 1920s, Prime Ministers have typically been conferred the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, orthe Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers (until 2003 a special higher class of the Order of the RisingSun), depending on tenure and eminence. However, honours may be withheld due to misconduct or refusal on thepart of the Prime Minister (for example, Kiichi Miyazawa).

List of Living Former Prime Ministers

Name Term of office Dates of birth

Yasuhiro Nakasone 1982–1987 27 May 1918

Toshiki Kaifu 1989–1991 2 January 1931

Morihiro Hosokawa 1993–1994 14 January 1938

Tsutomu Hata 1994 24 August 1935

Tomiichi Murayama 1994–1996 3 March 1924

Yoshirō Mori 2000–2001 14 July 1937

Junichiro Koizumi 2001–2006 8 January 1942

Shinzo Abe 2006–2007 21 September 1954

Yasuo Fukuda 2007–2008 16 July 1936

Taro Aso 2008–2009 20 September 1940

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Yukio Hatoyama 2009–2010 11 February 1947

Naoto Kan 2010–2011 10 October 1946

Yoshihiko Noda 2011–2012 20 May 1957

Lists of Prime Ministers of Japan•• List of Prime Ministers of Japan•• List of Japanese Prime Ministers by longevity

References[1] http:/ / www. kantei. go. jp/ foreign/ index-e. html[2] Article 67 of the Constitution of Japan[3] Article 6 of the Constitution of Japan[4][4] Article 5 of the Constitution of Japan[5][5] Article 72 of the Constitution of Japan[6][6] Article 74 of the Constitution of Japan[7][7] Article 68 of the Constitution of Japan[8][8] Article 75 of the Constitution of Japan[9][9] Article 63 of the Constitution of Japan[10][10] Cabinet Act, article 4[11][11] Self-Defense Forces Act of 1954[12] Administrative Litigation Act, article 27

• Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary, Kenkyusha Limited, Tokyo 1991, ISBN 4-7674-2015-6

External links• Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet (http:/ / www. kantei. go. jp/ foreign/ index-e. html) Official website• List of Japanese cabinets 1885 to 1989 (http:/ / www. geocities. co. jp/ WallStreet-Bull/ 6515/ rekidaiNaikaku.

htm) (Japanese)

Article Sources and Contributors 6

Article Sources and ContributorsPrime Minister of Japan  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=552109096  Contributors: 58.188user, 7, ACSE, ASDFGH, Addshore, Adherent of the Enlightenment 10.0,Akrabbim, Akuindo, Aleksa Lukic, Amagase, Andre Engels, Andy Marchbanks, Andycjp, Araker, Aumnamahashiva, Barklund, Barryob, BenTheElectionMan, BigHaz, BilabialBoxing,Bjankuloski06en, BoomerAB, Bryan Derksen, C111222333444, CJ$wagg, Capricorn42, Causa sui, Chill doubt, Chrism, Chùn-hiàn, Ciphers, Clasqm, Cncs wikipedia, Coasterlover1994,ConstantinetheGreat, Contralya, Conversion script, Crazy Boris with a red beard, Cwlq, D6, DAJF, Daffy123, Daniel Olsen, DerHexer, Discospinster, Dmerrill, Docu, Dumpty-Humpty,Dustimagic, Dúnadan, E. Ripley, Eclecticology, Emperor Gestahl, Evan1975, Everyking, Fakethefaker 666, Feydey, Firefox, Florian Huber, Fluxray1, Fudoreaper, GMMarques, Gabbe,GageSkidmore, GameGuy95, Gdizon2000, GeeJo, Golbez, GoodDay, GraemeL, Graham87, Grammarxxx, Gugganij, Gus Polly, Gwern, HangingCurve, Hazhk, Hijiri88, IPAddressConflict,Insomniacpuppy, Iota, Island, Itai, J.delanoy, JBrown23, Jessxenos, Jfruh, Jiang, Jimp, John254, Johnanth, Joseph Solis in Australia, Jtalledo, Jéské Couriano, Jóna Þórunn, Kahusi, Kanenas,Karl-Henner, Ken Takahashi, Kintetsubuffalo, Korossyl, Ktsquare, LeaveSleaves, LeilaniLad, Lightmouse, Lihaas, Limitedexpresstrain, LogicalEditor, LordAmeth, Ludde23, Lupinoid,Magioladitis, Maurojosed, Meghanand, Mickey gfss2007, Mimiearwig, Mlm42, Mnemosyne23, Modus Ponens, Moreschi, Morimura, Mp623, Nanshu, Nash16, NawlinWiki, Neier, Nightstallion,Nlu, OCNative, Ohconfucius, OneEyedD0rf, PFHLai, PeterAKer, Phileasson, Philip Stevens, Physchim62, Poohpooh817, Prayerfortheworld, QTEng, Randor1980, RicJac, Richard75,Robertvan1, Rrius, Sardanaphalus, Savant1984, Scanyaro, SchuminWeb, Seibun, Shalom Yechiel, Shinnin, SlimanthonyWi, Slsternberg, Smalljim, Spongie555, Star Garnet, Sundostund,TakuyaMurata, The Tom, Therequiembellishere, Tholme, Timrollpickering, Tjl1128, Tktru, Tokiohotelover, Tom Morris, Tombombadil, Useight, Vacation9, Vfp15, VsevolodKrolikov,Werdnanoslen, Westwind273, Wikipedical, Will Beback, WoodElf, Wtachi, YeshuaDavid, Yohowithrum, Youssefsan, Zoltan Bukovszky, Zscout370, Александър, ハ ロ ー ワ ー ク い せ

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Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:Emblem of the Prime Minister of Japan.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Emblem_of_the_Prime_Minister_of_Japan.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors:derivative work: Barryob Emblem_of_the_Prime_Minister_of_Japan.jpg: Picture taken and file created by: ZagyosoFile:Abe Shinzo 2012 02.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Abe_Shinzo_2012_02.jpg  License: Creative Commons Zero  Contributors: TTTNISFile:Imperial Seal of Japan.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Imperial_Seal_of_Japan.svg  License: unknown  Contributors: User:Philip NilssonFile:A coloured voting box.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:A_coloured_voting_box.svg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.5  Contributors:AnomieFile:Standard of the Prime Minister of Japan.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Standard_of_the_Prime_Minister_of_Japan.svg  License: Creative CommonsAttribution-Sharealike 2.5  Contributors: Zscout370File:Go-shichi no kiri crest 2.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Go-shichi_no_kiri_crest_2.svg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: SakuramboFile:Soridaijinkantei2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Soridaijinkantei2.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: っ

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