The Tokyo Imperial Palace

The palace on the site of Edo Castle, home of the Emperor of Japan since 1869, and what a 110-row lineage says about the oldest continuous monarchy on the globe.

Eleanor Marsh September 22, 2026

Tokyo Imperial Palace, illustrated — Tokyo Imperial Palace — GovGlobe illustration

The Tokyo Imperial Palace stands in a park of moats and stone walls in the center of Tokyo, on the site of Edo Castle. For two and a half centuries the castle was the seat of the Tokugawa shoguns, who ruled Japan while the emperor lived in Kyoto. When the shogunate fell in 1868, the young Emperor Meiji moved east, the castle became his palace, and Edo was renamed Tokyo, "the eastern capital."

Building	Tokyo Imperial Palace
What Wikidata calls it	royal palace
Capital	Tokyo
Form of government	parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Population	123,802,000

The building

Little of the palace is old. The Meiji-era palace, finished in 1888, was destroyed in an American air raid in May 1945. The present main hall, the Kyūden, was completed in 1968 in a low, modern style with deep eaves. It is used for state ceremonies, and the emperor's residence is a separate building in the grounds. The moats, the massive stone walls and some of the castle gates and watchtowers survive from the Edo period. The inner grounds are open to the public on only a few days a year, including the emperor's birthday and 2 January.

Who held the office

The ledger records 110 emperors. The Imperial Household Agency counts the present emperor, Naruhito, as the 126th. The difference comes from the source, which does not record every early emperor as a person with a date. The ledger shows the gap instead of filling it.

The oldest rows are legendary. The source lists Jimmu, the first emperor in the traditional count, with no date at all. It dates his successors from the Nihon Shoki, a chronicle completed in 720, which is why the table has an emperor starting in the year 131. Historians do not treat those reigns or dates as fact before about the sixth century. The ledger holds 16 reigns dated before 540. GovGlobe prints them because the source records them, and this paragraph says what they are.

#	Held by	From	To
126	Naruhito	May 1, 2019	incumbent
125	Akihito	January 7, 1989	April 30, 2019
124	Hirohito	December 25, 1926	January 7, 1989
123	Emperor Taishō	July 30, 1912	December 25, 1926
122	Emperor Meiji	February 3, 1867	July 30, 1912
121	Emperor Kōmei	March 10, 1846	January 30, 1867
	Emperor Ninkō	October 31, 1817	February 21, 1846
	Emperor Kōkaku	December 16, 1779	May 7, 1817
	Go-Momozono	May 23, 1771	December 16, 1779
117	Go-Sakuramachi	September 15, 1762	January 9, 1771
	Momozono	June 9, 1747	August 31, 1762
	Sakuramachi	April 13, 1735	June 9, 1747
	Nakamikado	July 27, 1709	April 13, 1735
	Higashiyama	May 6, 1687	July 27, 1709
	Emperor Reigen	May 5, 1663	May 2, 1687
	Go-Sai	January 5, 1655	March 5, 1663
	Go-Kōmyō	November 14, 1643	October 30, 1654
	Empress Meishō	December 22, 1629	November 14, 1643
	Emperor Go-Mizunoo	May 9, 1611	December 22, 1629
	Go-Yōzei	December 17, 1586	May 9, 1611
	Ōgimachi	October 27, 1557	December 17, 1586
	Go-Nara	June 9, 1526	September 27, 1557
	Go-Kashiwabara	November 16, 1500	May 19, 1526
	Go-Tsuchimikado	August 21, 1464	October 21, 1500
	Go-Hanazono	September 7, 1428	August 21, 1464
	Shōkō	October 5, 1412	August 30, 1428
	Go-Komatsu	October 21, 1392	October 5, 1412
	Go-Kameyama	January 1, 1383	October 21, 1392
	Go-En'yū	April 9, 1371	May 24, 1382
	Chōkei	March 29, 1368	January 1, 1383
	Go-Kōgon	September 25, 1352	April 9, 1371
	Go-Murakami	September 26, 1339	March 29, 1368
	Go-Daigo	March 29, 1318	September 18, 1339
	Emperor Hanazono	December 28, 1308	March 29, 1318
	Go-Nijō	March 3, 1301	September 10, 1308
	Go-Fushimi	August 30, 1298	March 2, 1301
	Fushimi	November 27, 1287	August 30, 1298
	Go-Uda	March 6, 1274	November 27, 1287
	Emperor Kameyama	January 16, 1260	March 13, 1274
	Emperor Go-Fukakusa	February 16, 1246	January 9, 1260
	Emperor Go-Saga	February 21, 1242	February 16, 1246
	Emperor Shijō	November 17, 1232	February 10, 1242
	Go-Horikawa	July 29, 1221	November 17, 1232
	Emperor Chūkyō	May 13, 1221	July 29, 1221
	Juntoku	December 12, 1210	May 13, 1221
	Tsuchimikado	February 18, 1198	December 12, 1210
	Go-Toba	September 15, 1183	February 25, 1198
	Antoku	March 25, 1180	May 2, 1185
	Takakura	April 16, 1168	March 25, 1180
	Rokujō	August 10, 1165	April 16, 1168
	Nijō	September 12, 1158	August 10, 1165
	Emperor Go-Shirakawa	August 30, 1155	September 12, 1158
	Emperor Konoe	January 12, 1142	August 29, 1155
	Emperor Sutoku	March 4, 1123	January 12, 1142
	Emperor Toba	August 16, 1107	March 4, 1123
	Emperor Horikawa	January 9, 1087	August 16, 1107
	Emperor Shirakawa	January 24, 1073	January 9, 1087
	Go-Sanjō	May 28, 1068	January 24, 1073
	Go-Reizei	February 11, 1045	May 28, 1068
	Go-Suzaku	May 21, 1036	February 11, 1045
	Go-Ichijō	March 16, 1016	May 21, 1036
	Sanjō	July 22, 1011	March 16, 1016
	Ichijō	August 6, 986	July 22, 1011
	Emperor Kazan	September 29, 984	August 6, 986
	En'yū	October 2, 969	September 29, 984
	Emperor Reizei	July 10, 967	October 2, 969
	Murakami	May 28, 946	July 10, 967
	Suzaku	October 21, 930	May 28, 946
	Daigo	August 8, 897	October 21, 930
	Uda	September 21, 887	August 8, 897
	Kōkō	March 9, 884	September 21, 887
	Yōzei	December 22, 876	March 8, 884
	Seiwa	October 11, 858	December 22, 876
	Montoku	May 8, 850	October 11, 858
	Ninmyō	March 26, 833	May 8, 850
	Emperor Junna	June 2, 823	March 26, 833
	Emperor Saga	May 22, 809	June 2, 823
	Emperor Heizei	January 1, 806	January 1, 809
	Emperor Kanmu	January 1, 781	January 1, 806
	Kōnin	January 1, 770	January 1, 781
	Junnin	January 1, 758	January 1, 764
	Shōmu	January 1, 724	January 1, 749
	Monmu	January 1, 697	January 1, 707
	Jitō	January 1, 686	January 1, 697
	Tenmu	January 1, 672	October 7, 686
	Kōbun	January 1, 672	August 30, 672
	Tenji	January 1, 661	January 1, 672
	Kōtoku	July 18, 645	November 30, 654
	Jomei	February 8, 629	November 23, 641
	Suiko	January 19, 593	April 21, 628
	Sushun	September 13, 587	December 16, 592
	Yōmei	September 9, 585	April 13, 587
	Bidatsu	May 4, 572	September 18, 585
	Kinmei	December 9, 539	April 19, 571
	Senka	January 1, 536	January 1, 539
	Ankan	January 1, 531	January 1, 535
	Keitai	January 1, 507	January 1, 531
	Buretsu	January 1, 499	January 1, 507
	Emperor Ninken	January 1, 488	January 1, 498
	Emperor Kenzō	January 1, 485	January 1, 487
	Seinei	January 1, 480	January 1, 484
	Yūryaku	January 1, 457	January 1, 479
	Emperor Ankō	January 1, 454	January 1, 456
	Ingyō	January 1, 412	January 1, 453
	Emperor Hanzei	January 1, 406	January 1, 411
	Richū	January 1, 400	January 1, 405
	Nintoku	January 1, 313	January 1, 399
	Chūai	January 1, 192	January 1, 200
	Emperor Seimu	January 1, 131	January 1, 191
1	Jimmu	not recorded	not recorded

110 tenures, 1 without a recorded date. Source: Wikidata, retrieved 2026-09-23.

Symbol and government

Under the 1947 constitution, the emperor is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people" and has no powers related to government. He formally appoints the prime minister, who is chosen by the Diet. The prime minister governs from the Kantei, the official office in Nagatachō, about a kilometer and a half from the palace.

The prime minister's lineage begins with Itō Hirobumi in 1885. The ledger records 108 terms held by 68 people, because many prime ministers formed more than one cabinet.

#	Held by	From	To
104	Sanae Takaichi	October 21, 2025	incumbent
103	Shigeru Ishiba	November 11, 2024	October 21, 2025
102	Shigeru Ishiba	October 1, 2024	November 11, 2024
	Fumio Kishida	September 13, 2023	October 1, 2024
	Fumio Kishida	August 10, 2022	September 13, 2023
101	Fumio Kishida	November 10, 2021	August 10, 2022
100	Fumio Kishida	October 4, 2021	November 10, 2021
99	Yoshihide Suga	September 16, 2020	October 4, 2021
98	Shinzō Abe	November 1, 2017	September 16, 2020
97	Shinzō Abe	December 24, 2014	November 1, 2017
96	Shinzō Abe	December 26, 2012	December 24, 2014
95	Yoshihiko Noda	September 2, 2011	December 26, 2012
94	Naoto Kan	June 8, 2010	September 2, 2011
93	Yukio Hatoyama	September 16, 2009	June 8, 2010
92	Tarō Asō	September 24, 2008	September 16, 2009
91	Yasuo Fukuda	September 26, 2007	September 24, 2008
90	Shinzō Abe	September 26, 2006	September 25, 2007
89	Junichiro Koizumi	September 21, 2005	September 26, 2006
88	Junichiro Koizumi	November 19, 2003	September 21, 2005
87	Junichiro Koizumi	April 26, 2001	November 19, 2003
86	Yoshirō Mori	July 4, 2000	April 26, 2001
85	Yoshirō Mori	April 5, 2000	July 4, 2000
84	Keizō Obuchi	July 30, 1998	April 5, 2000
83	Ryutaro Hashimoto	November 7, 1996	July 30, 1998
82	Ryutaro Hashimoto	January 11, 1996	November 7, 1996
81	Tomiichi Murayama	June 30, 1994	January 11, 1996
80	Tsutomu Hata	April 28, 1994	June 30, 1994
79	Morihiro Hosokawa	August 9, 1993	April 28, 1994
78	Kiichi Miyazawa	November 5, 1991	August 9, 1993
77	Toshiki Kaifu	February 28, 1990	November 5, 1991
76	Toshiki Kaifu	August 10, 1989	February 28, 1990
75	Sōsuke Uno	June 3, 1989	August 10, 1989
74	Noboru Takeshita	November 6, 1987	June 3, 1989
73	Yasuhiro Nakasone	July 22, 1986	November 6, 1987
72	Yasuhiro Nakasone	December 27, 1983	July 22, 1986
71	Yasuhiro Nakasone	November 27, 1982	December 27, 1983
70	Zenkō Suzuki	July 17, 1980	November 27, 1982
	Masayoshi Ito	June 12, 1980	July 17, 1980
69	Masayoshi Ōhira	November 9, 1979	June 12, 1980
68	Masayoshi Ōhira	December 7, 1978	November 9, 1979
67	Takeo Fukuda	December 24, 1976	December 7, 1978
66	Takeo Miki	December 9, 1974	December 24, 1976
65	Kakuei Tanaka	December 22, 1972	December 9, 1974
64	Kakuei Tanaka	July 7, 1972	December 22, 1972
63	Eisaku Satō	January 14, 1970	July 7, 1972
62	Eisaku Satō	February 17, 1967	January 14, 1970
61	Eisaku Satō	November 9, 1964	February 17, 1967
60	Hayato Ikeda	December 9, 1963	November 9, 1964
59	Hayato Ikeda	December 8, 1960	December 9, 1963
58	Hayato Ikeda	July 19, 1960	December 8, 1960
57	Nobusuke Kishi	June 12, 1958	July 19, 1960
56	Nobusuke Kishi	February 25, 1957	June 12, 1958
55	Tanzan Ishibashi	December 23, 1956	February 25, 1957
54	Ichirō Hatoyama	November 22, 1955	December 23, 1956
53	Ichirō Hatoyama	March 19, 1955	November 22, 1955
52	Ichirō Hatoyama	December 10, 1954	March 19, 1955
51	Shigeru Yoshida	May 21, 1953	December 10, 1954
50	Shigeru Yoshida	October 30, 1952	May 21, 1953
49	Shigeru Yoshida	February 16, 1949	October 30, 1952
48	Shigeru Yoshida	October 15, 1948	February 16, 1949
47	Hitoshi Ashida	March 10, 1948	October 15, 1948
46	Tetsu Katayama	May 24, 1947	March 10, 1948
45	Shigeru Yoshida	May 22, 1946	May 24, 1947
44	Kijūrō Shidehara	October 9, 1945	May 22, 1946
43	Naruhiko Higashikuni	August 17, 1945	October 9, 1945
42	Kantarō Suzuki	April 7, 1945	August 17, 1945
41	Kuniaki Koiso	July 22, 1944	April 7, 1945
40	Hideki Tojo	October 18, 1941	July 22, 1944
39	Fumimaro Konoe	July 18, 1941	October 18, 1941
38	Fumimaro Konoe	July 22, 1940	July 18, 1941
37	Mitsumasa Yonai	January 16, 1940	July 22, 1940
36	Nobuyuki Abe	August 30, 1939	January 16, 1940
35	Hiranuma Kiichirō	January 5, 1939	August 30, 1939
34	Fumimaro Konoe	June 4, 1937	January 5, 1939
33	Senjūrō Hayashi	February 2, 1937	June 4, 1937
32	Kōki Hirota	March 9, 1936	February 2, 1937
31	Keisuke Okada	July 8, 1934	March 9, 1936
30	Saitō Makoto	May 26, 1932	July 8, 1934
29	Inukai Tsuyoshi	December 13, 1931	May 16, 1932
28	Wakatsuki Reijirō	April 14, 1931	December 13, 1931
27	Hamaguchi Osachi	July 2, 1929	April 14, 1931
26	Tanaka Giichi	April 20, 1927	July 2, 1929
25	Wakatsuki Reijirō	January 30, 1926	April 20, 1927
24	Katō Takaaki	June 11, 1924	January 28, 1926
23	Kiyoura Keigo	January 7, 1924	June 11, 1924
22	Yamamoto Gonnohyōe	September 2, 1923	January 7, 1924
21	Katō Tomosaburō	June 12, 1922	August 24, 1923
20	Takahashi Korekiyo	November 13, 1921	June 12, 1922
19	Hara Takashi	September 29, 1918	November 4, 1921
18	Terauchi Masatake	October 9, 1916	September 29, 1918
17	Ōkuma Shigenobu	April 16, 1914	October 9, 1916
16	Yamamoto Gonnohyōe	February 20, 1913	April 16, 1914
15	Katsura Tarō	December 21, 1912	February 20, 1913
14	Saionji Kinmochi	August 30, 1911	December 21, 1912
13	Katsura Tarō	July 14, 1908	August 30, 1911
12	Saionji Kinmochi	January 7, 1906	July 14, 1908
11	Katsura Tarō	June 2, 1901	January 7, 1906
10	Itō Hirobumi	October 19, 1900	May 10, 1901
9	Yamagata Aritomo	November 8, 1898	October 19, 1900
8	Ōkuma Shigenobu	June 30, 1898	November 8, 1898
7	Itō Hirobumi	January 12, 1898	June 30, 1898
6	Matsukata Masayoshi	September 18, 1896	January 12, 1898
5	Itō Hirobumi	August 8, 1892	August 31, 1896
4	Matsukata Masayoshi	May 6, 1891	August 8, 1892
3	Yamagata Aritomo	December 24, 1889	May 6, 1891
	Sanjō Sanetomi	October 25, 1889	December 24, 1889
2	Kuroda Kiyotaka	April 30, 1888	October 25, 1889
1	Itō Hirobumi	December 22, 1885	April 30, 1888

108 tenures. Source: Wikidata, retrieved 2026-09-23.

Last updated September 22, 2026.