On Friday, around 3:30 p.m. local time on September 27th, the results of the leadership election of the ruling party in Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party, were announced. In the second round of voting, Shigeru Ishiba defeated Sanae Takaichi with 215 votes to 194 votes, securing victory in the election. He will succeed Fumio Kishida to become the new Prime Minister of Japan.
In the first round of voting, Takaichi received 181 votes, leading the pack. Ishiba garnered 154 votes, placing second. Following closely was Taro Kono with 136 votes. As no candidate obtained more than half of the votes, Takaichi and Ishiba advanced to the second round of voting.
During his speech before the second round of voting, Ishiba remarked, “The main reason for this leadership election is the resignation of Prime Minister Kishida, to put an end to the wide distrust within the Liberal Democratic Party. I sincerely respect the enormous accomplishments Prime Minister Kishida has made in domestic and foreign affairs over the past three years.”
He stated, “I have been involved in national security for a long time. I will protect the country and its people. I will definitely create a Japan where everyone can feel happy and safe, where everyone can regain their smiles. I will dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the construction of the nation of Japan.”
At 67 years old, Shigeru Ishiba, a former banker, participated in this leadership election for the fifth time, calling it his “final battle.” He was first elected as a member of the Diet in 1986 and has held significant cabinet and party positions, including Minister of Defense and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.
Ishiba is regarded as an expert in national defense policy, advocating for the establishment of an Asian version of NATO military alliance and a more equitable Japan-US security alliance. He is a supporter of democracy in Taiwan, advocating for the establishment of a disaster management organization for one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.
Ishiba vows to promote diversity and gender equality. He supports amending the 19th-century Civil Code to allow married couples to choose their surnames, instead of the wife having to take the husband’s surname. As the Liberal Democratic Party is the only party opposing the revision of the Civil Code, the revision has been stagnant for decades.
Ishiba will hold a press conference at party headquarters at 6 p.m. Afterward, he will begin appointing party officials, including the Secretary-General, and is set to assume the role of Prime Minister after being nominated at a special parliamentary session on October 1st. It is expected that the new cabinet will be formed on the same day.
The right-wing conservative Liberal Democratic Party in Japan has held the ruling party position almost continuously since its establishment in 1955. Although the general election is scheduled for next year, the new Prime Minister may opt for an early election.
As the U.S. presidential election approaches, the newly elected Japanese Prime Minister will work towards establishing a strong relationship with the new U.S. President. Currently, with tensions rising in the Indo-Pacific region, increasing provocations from China in the South China Sea and towards Taiwan, and North Korea advancing its nuclear program, the new Japanese Prime Minister will continue to face a challenging security environment.