Longest-serving Japanese prime ministers
      

Ito Hirobumi
Japan’s first prime minister – appointed in 1885 following Meiji Restoration

Eisaku Sato
Great uncle of Abe. Longest uninterrupted term in office prior to Abe

Taro Katsura
Distinguished general and second longest-serving prime minister over three terms
 

DAYS IN OFFICE
Shinzo Abe 		2006-2007, 2012-2020			3,188
Taro Katsura 		Three terms between 1901 and 1913	2,886
Eisaku Sato 		1964-1972				2,798
Ito Hirobumi 		Four terms between 1885 and 1901	2,720
Shigeru Yoshida 	Two terms between 1946 and 1954		2,616
Junichiro Koizumi 	2001-2006				1,980
Yasuhiro Nakasone 	1982-1987				1,806
Hayato Ikeda 		1960-1964				1,575
Saionji Kinmochi	1906-08, 1911-12			1,531
Nobusuke Kishi		1957-1960				1,266

Shinzo Abe resigned on Sep 16, 2020, having served total of 3,188 days – 2,822 consecutive days since start of second term


Pictures: Newscom, Getty Images, Prime Minister’s Office of Japan, National Diet Library
Sources: Nippon.com, Financial Times, Encyclopaedia Britannica 
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