The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: Naikaku Sōri-Daijin) is the head of government of Japan, and the most powerful person in Japanese politics. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self Defence Forces and is a sitting member of either house of the National Diet (typically the House of Representatives). The Emperor appoints as prime minister the person who is nominated by the National Diet (the parliament). The prime minister must retain the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office. The prime minister lives and works at the Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei (Prime Minister's Official Residence) in Nagatachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, close to the National Diet Building. Sixty-five men have served as prime minister, the first of whom was Itō Hirobumi taking office on 22 December 1885. The longest-serving prime minister was Shinzo Abe, who served over eight years, and the shortest-serving was Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni, who served fifty-four days. The current prime minister is Shigeru Ishiba, who succeeded Fumio Kishida on 1 October 2024, following the 2024 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election. Source: Wikipedia (en)