Japan appoints a new Prime Minister as the country faces several internal and external challenges.
After trying to reach the top job five times, Shigeru Ishiba finally won Japan’s ruling party leadership vote. The 67-year-old politics veteran will be sworn in as Japan’s new Prime Minister next week, replacing Fumio Kishida.
Shigeru Ishiba was elected the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, the strongest political force in Japan, on Friday after a month-long struggle. When Kishida said he would not be seeking reelection in August, it sparked a political crisis as all sides were trying to find a suitable replacement.
Eventually, Shigeru emerged victorious after defeating hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi. “We must believe in the people, speak the truth with courage and sincerity, and work together to make Japan a safe and secure country where everyone can live with a smile once again,” Ishiba said after the vote.
The Liberal Democratic Party navigated through some of the most turbulent times in Japanese history since WWII. The LDP faced a demographic, economic, and social crisis, culminating with the assassination of former PM Shinzo Abe in 2022.
The yen lost almost 25% of its value against the US dollar since 2019, while in foreign politics China assumed an increasingly aggressive posture against its regional neighbors.
Often dubbed a “contrarian” by friends and colleagues, Shigeru must now face a plethora of contentious issues for the world’s fourth-largest economy.
Challenges and opportunities
Shigeru showed far more liberal opinions than his predecessor. He opposes the continuous use of nuclear energy, citing the Fukushima disaster as its main talking point. Soon after his election, Hideki Masui, the head of the nuclear energy lobby Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, said nuclear is a crucial form of energy for a safe and clean future.
The new Prime Minister also supports separate surnames for married couples, going against the traditionally conservative practice of the married woman acquiring her spouse’s surname.
On foreign policy, Shigeru supports Japanese rearmament to counter regional threats, including China and North Korea. He also pledged stable relations with the United States, as Washington remains Japan’s most important ally.
Moreover, Shigeru also publicly supported the creation of an “Asian NATO” to counter Chinese expansionism. Washington often rebuked this idea, though several Pentagon hawks support it.
At the same time, however, Shigeru said he’s open to diplomacy with Beijing.
Japan is also currently facing a serious economic crisis, with the country falling into a recession earlier this year. Higher costs of living and low economic growth made the LDP extremely unpopular, with many experts wondering how long Shigeru’s tenure would last.
