Prime Minister of Japan

The Prime Minister of Japan (内閣総理大臣 Naikaku sōri daijin) is the English political nomenclature of the head of government of Japan. The Prime Minister is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet and appoints and dismisses the Ministers of State. The current Prime Minister of Japan, since 2001, is Junichiro Koizumi.

Appointment

The Prime Minister is designated by both houses of the Diet, before the conduct of any other business. For this purpose, each conducts a ballot under the run-off system. If the two houses choose different individuals, then a joint committee of both houses is appointed to agree on a common candidate. Ultimately, however, if the two houses do not agree within ten days, the decision of the House of Representatives is deemed to be that of the Diet. Theoretically, therefore, the House of Representatives can ensure the appointment of any Prime Minister it wishes.

Related Topics:
Run-off - House of Representatives

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The Prime Minister must resign if the House of Representatives adopts a motion of no confidence or defeats a vote of confidence, unless the House of Representatives is dissolved within ten days. The Prime Minister must also resign after every general election to the House of Representatives, even if they have won a majority in the house. The office of Prime Minister has by convention usually been occupied by the leader of the largest party in the Diet, which has usually been the Liberal Democratic Party.

Related Topics:
Motion of no confidence - Liberal Democratic Party

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