Obituaries

Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama Dies at 101 （Update1）

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama on July 23, 2015

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:35 JST, October 17, 2025 (updated at 16:15 JST, Oct. 17)

Former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama has died at 101, it was learned Friday.

Murayama, who was the head of the then Japan Socialist Party, which is now known as the Social Democratic Party, served as prime minister from 1994 to 1996. During his time in office, his handling of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in January 1995 was notable.

Murayama was born in Oita in March 1924. He served two terms as an Oita city assembly member and three terms as an Oita prefectural assembly member. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in the 1972 general election from the former Oita Constituency No.1. He served a total of eight terms in the lower house.

He was elected as the 81st prime minister following the resignation of the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata in June 1994. He was backed by three parties — the Liberal Democratic Party, the Japan Socialist Party and New Party Sakigake.

He was the second socialist party prime minister since Tetsu Katayama in 1947. In August 1995, he issued a prime ministerial statement to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II.