Political Troublemaker Poised to Assume Leadership in Japan – Reuters

By Tim Kelly

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s newly elected prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, claims to read three books a day and prefers this pastime over socializing with colleagues in the ruling party who selected him as their leader on Friday.

At 67 years old, Ishiba’s successful leadership bid marks his ascent to the head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed Japan for most of the past 70 years. His election comes at a time when the party is grappling with a decline in public support, stemming from controversies linked to a church criticized as a cult and a scandal involving undisclosed donations.

A former defense minister, Ishiba has been a member of parliament since 1986 after a brief stint in the banking sector. He had previously been marginalized by former prime ministers, including the outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and became a voice of dissent within the party.

Ishiba has publicly opposed policies such as the increased use of nuclear energy and has criticized the party for not allowing married couples to have separate surnames. In his address to LDP lawmakers at party headquarters following his election, he acknowledged causing discomfort and hurt to many and expressed regret for his shortcomings.

Kicking off his campaign at a Shinto shrine in Tottori, where his father served as governor and where he launched his political career during Japan’s economic boom, Ishiba referred to this election as his "final battle." He pledged to decentralize government by moving ministries and agencies out of Tokyo to rejuvenate the country’s struggling regions and proposed creating an agency to oversee the construction of emergency shelters in disaster-prone areas of Japan.

Despite his outspoken nature — which has included calls for Kishida’s resignation — Ishiba faces challenges within the LDP. His political isolation, partly due to a four-year stint with an opposition group in 1993, made it difficult for him to gather the necessary support from fellow lawmakers to become a candidate for leadership. Instead, he has relied on the backing of grassroots party members he has cultivated over four decades.

Ishiba has maintained his public presence through various media, including social media and YouTube, where he discusses issues ranging from Japan’s declining birth rate to culinary topics. He also exhibits a self-deprecating sense of humor about his awkwardness and hobbies, such as building plastic models of ships and military aircraft, showcased in his Tokyo office.

Regarded as an intellectual heavyweight in the LDP with expertise on national security, Ishiba supports a more assertive Japan that aims to lessen its reliance on the United States for defense. However, analysts suggest this stance could complicate relations with Washington.

During the leadership campaign, Ishiba advocated for Japan to spearhead the formation of an "Asian NATO," a concept quickly dismissed by the U.S. as premature. In Okinawa, home to most U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan, he expressed a desire for increased oversight of the bases and for Japan to have a role in discussions regarding the use of nuclear weapons in Asia.

In a recent interview, he critiqued the U.S. political reaction to Nippon Steel’s attempt to acquire U.S. Steel, arguing it unfairly portrayed Japan as a national security threat. Kishida has refrained from commenting on this issue ahead of the impending U.S. presidential election.

Despite previous policy positions that placed him at odds with party members, Ishiba has indicated a willingness to moderate his stance, notably by supporting the continued operation of some nuclear reactors in Japan, despite his previous opposition to nuclear power.

A fiscal conservative committed to preserving the independence of the Bank of Japan, Ishiba has recently questioned whether the conditions are appropriate for an increase in interest rates.

“Politicians don’t need to be best friends, as long as their policies and political positions align,” Ishiba stated in a video posted on YouTube this week.