Key Points
- Japan’s ruling LDP has picked the replacement for outgoing PM Fumio Kishida.
- Veteran politician Shigeru Ishiba succeeded in his fifth and final bid to become Japan’s prime minister.
- Ishiba must quell anger at home over rising living costs and navigate a volatile security environment in East Asia.
Japan’s former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba will become the country’s next prime minister after winning the ruling party’s leadership vote.
The 67-year-old prevailed over hardline nationalist Sanae Takaichi — who would have been Japan’s first-ever woman leader — in a run-off vote in what was one of the most unpredictable leadership elections in decades with a record nine candidates in the field.
After his victory was announced at the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headquarters in Tokyo, Ishiba smiled and took off his glasses to wipe his teary eyes, and bowed repeatedly as his associates congratulated him.
“I will do my utmost to believe in the people, to speak the truth with courage and sincerity, and to make this country a safe and secure place where everyone can live with a smile on their face once again,” he said in a short speech.
The scramble to replace current premier Fumio Kishida was that plunged the LDP’s ratings to record lows.
Shigeru Ishiba (right) with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (left) and other candidates, celebrates after Ishiba was elected as new head of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Source: AP / Hiro Komae
Ishiba must quell anger at home over rising living costs and navigate a volatile security environment in East Asia fuelled by an increasingly assertive China and nuclear-armed North Korea.
His approach to diplomacy with Japan’s closest ally, the United States, will be in focus given he has repeatedly called for a more balanced relationship.
Who is Shigeru Ishiba?
Ishiba, whose politician father was at one point a cabinet minister, grew up in the remote rural region of Tottori.
He read law at university and became a banker before entering politics, winning his first parliamentary seat with the LDP in 1986, aged 29.
During his long career, the father of two has held several key posts including LDP secretary general and minister for agriculture.
The political veteran is a fan of trains, 1970s pop idols and making military models — including one of a Soviet aircraft carrier for the visit of a Russian defence minister.
Ishiba had come close to the top job before, including in 2012 when he lost to nationalist Shinzo Abe, .
He was sidelined by outgoing prime minister Kishida, instead becoming a dissenting voice in the party who enjoyed broad support from the public and rank-and-file members.
What are some of Ishiba’s policy positions?
Ishiba has rebelled on policies including the increased use of nuclear energy and has criticised his party for .
His contrarian views and spats with colleagues contributed to four previous failed leadership bids. He has said this was his “final battle”.
His push to boost the military and call for the creation of an Asian NATO , but he is careful with his words concerning China.
He argues that Japan’s military should be able to take a stronger response when territorial airspace or waters are breached. Currently a warning shot is the only option, and China is “well aware” of that, he has said.
But recently he has been “vocal about the need for the LDP to turn over a new leaf when it comes to the funding scandal and other issues”, which may have worked in his favour.
He has also proposed creating a government agency in charge of disaster prevention in the earthquake-prone country that is also frequently hit by typhoons and heavy rains.
“My life’s work is security, disaster prevention, and the revitalisation of rural regions,” Ishiba said in a recent interview, pledging to focus on these issues as prime minister.
In the run-up to Friday’s vote, Ishiba pledged to boost the economy by encouraging domestic investment in the chip and AI sectors among other policies, such as using nuclear power alongside renewables to fuel the resource-poor country.
He supports the Bank of Japan’s exit from its longstanding unorthodox monetary easing policies — championed by Abe — and has said “there is room for raising the corporate tax”.
The money raised by this tax hike will help the government in its existing plan to ramp up defence spending to the NATO standard of two percent of GDP by 2027, according to Ishiba.
He aims to raise through measures including a review of the country’s notorious long working hours and expanding support for parents, and wants to fight rural depopulation by revitalising regional economies.
Ishiba has said he is uniquely qualified for the job because he has experienced many setbacks when tackling tough social issues, such as agriculture reforms.
“I have always asked myself why and how things didn’t always go well. I don’t want future generations to repeat the same mistakes.”
