Editing Prime Minister of Japan (section)

===Statutory roles===
* Presides over meetings of the Cabinet.<ref>Cabinet Act2012, article 4</ref>
* [[Commander-in-chief]] of the [[Japan Self-Defense Forces]].<ref>Self-Defense Forces Act of 1954</ref>
* May override a court injunction against an administrative act upon showing of cause.<ref>[[Administrative Litigation Act]], article 27</ref>

Unlike most of his counterparts in constitutional monarchies, the prime minister is both ''de jure'' and ''de facto'' chief executive. In most other constitutional monarchies, the monarch is at least nominal chief executive, while being bound by convention to act on the advice of the cabinet. In contrast, the Constitution of Japan explicitly vests executive power in the Cabinet, of which the prime minister is the leader; this greatly enhances the prime minister's position compared to prime ministers in other parliamentary democracies. His countersignature is required for all laws and Cabinet orders. While most ministers in parliamentary democracies have some freedom of action within the bounds of [[cabinet collective responsibility]], the Japanese Cabinet is effectively an extension of the prime minister's authority.