Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Marks 864 Days in Office; Ranks 10th in Tenure in Postwar Era

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:00 JST, February 14, 2024

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida marked his 864th day in office on Wednesday, ranking 10th in longevity among the 35 postwar prime ministers. He currently stands alongside former Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki, who was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Kochikai, also known as the Kishida faction.

If Kishida is reelected in the party’s presidential election in the fall, he will be in line for another long term in power. However, with his Cabinet’s approval ratings slumping, it is likely that he will continue to face a difficult situation.

Kishida told reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday that his administration is tackling issues such as the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, restoring trust in politics, raising wages and dealing with the current international situation, saying, “We are absolutely committed to undertaking these issues that cannot be postponed.”

Within his own faction, Kishida’s tenure is second to former Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda’s 1,575 days – the founder of the Kochikai. Next month, Kishida will surpass the tenure of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka’s 886 days, which comes in at ninth place for longevity, and in April he will surpass former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto’s 932 days for eighth place.