Ex-defence minister Ishiba set to become Japan’s next prime minister

TOKYO: Veteran lawmaker Shigeru Ishiba was set on Friday (Sep 27) to become Japan’s next prime minister after winning a closely fought contest in his fifth and final attempt to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Ishiba prevailed over hardline nationalist Sanae Takaichi in a run-off vote in what was seen as one of the most unpredictable leadership elections in decades with a record nine candidates in the field.
The leader of the LDP, which has ruled Japan for almost all of the post-war era, is essentially assured of becoming Japan’s premier because of its majority in parliament.
The scramble to replace current premier Fumio Kishida was sparked in August when he announced his intention to step down over a series of scandals that plunged the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) ratings to record lows.
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.
In brief comments made to lawmakers before the run-off, Ishiba called for a fairer and kinder Japan and tears welled in his eyes after the final results were read out.
Ishiba has courted controversy with his peers for going against the grain and challenging previous leaders and has failed in four previous leadership bids. He has said he will not run again after this contest.
He supports some socially progressive policies like changing the law to allow married couples to use separate surnames, a move opposed by Takaichi and other more conservative LDP lawmakers.
The 67-year-old’s successful leadership bid after four failed attempts puts the self-confessed lone wolf at the helm of a Liberal Democratic Party that has ruled Japan for most of the past seven decades.
Ishiba takes over with the party in crisis, having seen its public support ebb away over the past two years with revelations of links to a church branded a cult by critics and a scandal over unrecorded donations.
A former defence minister who entered parliament in 1986 after a short banking career, Ishiba was sidelined by outgoing prime minister, Fumio Kishida, becoming instead a dissenting voice in the party.
Ishiba, who has also served as agriculture minister, promised to move some ministries and government agencies out of Tokyo to help revive Japan’s moribund regions. He has also proposed establishing an agency to oversee the construction of emergency shelters across disaster-prone Japan.
His outspoken views, including calls for Kishida and other prime ministers to step down, have earned him enemies in the LDP.
That enmity, which also stems from a four-year defection to an opposition group in 1993, made it difficult for Ishiba to win the 20 nominations he needed from fellow lawmakers to qualify as a candidate in the election on Friday.
After a first round of voting put him through to a run-off with economic security minister Takaichi, Ishiba acknowledged that his refusal to compromise has caused issues with his colleagues.
“I have undoubtedly hurt many people’s feelings, caused unpleasant experiences, and made many suffer. I sincerely apologise for all of my shortcomings,” he said in an address to LDP lawmakers who gathered at party headquarters for the election.
His lack of popularity among lawmakers means that Ishiba has had to rely on the support he has nurtured among rank-and-file members over his four decades in politics.
He has stayed in the public eye during his time away from government with media appearances, social media posts and on YouTube, where he muses on topics ranging from Japan’s falling birthrate to ramen noodles.
He also pokes fun at himself, including his sometimes-awkward manner and hobbies including plastic models of ships and military aircraft, some of which he displays on the bookshelves that line his parliamentary office in Tokyo.