National
Emperor of Japan
- Japanese: 天皇
How it's filled
- In plain words
- Inherited
- Exact method
- Succession to the Imperial Throne is dynastic and follows the Imperial House Law, which provides for succession through the male line of male offspring (Constitution of Japan, Art. 2; Imperial House Law, Art. 1). The Emperor is the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people (Art. 1) and performs only the acts in matters of state set out in the Constitution (Art. 4).
- Seats
- 1
Who holds it now
Naruhito since May 2019
Report Source: sangiin.go.jp,
checked
Sources
- japaneselawtranslation.go.jp · checked Ministry of Justice, Japanese Law Translation, The Constitution of Japan, read 2026-10-12 (Art. 2, 6, 7, 45, 46, 58, 66-68, 79); seat counts 465 and 248 and the electoral systems from the Public Offices Election Act as summarised on the Diet sites (shugiin.go.jp/internet/index.nsf/html/index_e.htm, sangiin.go.jp/eng/). Cabinet offices: Prime Minister's Office, List of Ministers, 105th cabinet reshuffled 2026-09-17 (japan.kantei.go.jp/105/meibo/daijin/index.html). For: Emperor of Japan
- shugiin.go.jp · checked Official Japanese names from the National Diet, Cabinet, Courts and party sites (shugiin.go.jp, sangiin.go.jp, kantei.go.jp, courts.go.jp), read 2026-10-12: Japanese official names of authorities, offices and parties. For: Emperor of Japan in Japanese
- sangiin.go.jp · checked Current terms from the House of Representatives roster (shugiin.go.jp 議員一覧, as of 2026-09-28), House of Councillors roster (sangiin.go.jp, as of 2026-10-12) with group and term-expiry date, Cabinet (japan.kantei.go.jp/105/meibo/daijin/index.html, inaugurated 2026-09-17; former list /105/meibo_a/ inaugurated 2026-02-18), Speakers (shugiin.go.jp English 'Officers of the House', as of 2026-10-05), House of Councillors officers (sangiin.go.jp yakuin, 2026-10-12), Supreme Court justices (courts.go.jp 最高裁判所の裁判官), Emperor (kunaicho.go.jp). Member start dates are left empty because the rosters do not give them; party is the member's in-house group mapped to its party (groups mixing party and non-party members are mapped to the party). Read 2026-10-12. For: Naruhito, current term