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PM Ishiba's quirkiness endears him to his home base

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Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Image: REUTERS file

"When the expectations are great," a well-known saying goes, "so are the disappointments." Perhaps more than anyone to date, reports Masaki Kubota in Shukan Shincho (Jan 30), this could apply to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Before Ishiba's ascension to the post, optimistic comments could be heard to the effect that "This man is the only one who can be counted on to change the Liberal Democratic Party."

Ordinarily, Kubota writes, new prime ministers are accorded a "honeymoon" of 100 days during which they generally enjoy high support. But in Ishiba's case, some are cynically applying the analogy of "Narita divorce." The term was coined several decades ago to refer to the phenomenon of newlywed couples who, having discovered during their overseas honeymoon they find the prospect of spending the rest of their lives together to be repellent, abruptly go their separate ways upon returning to Narita International Airport.

In search of the qualities that make Ishiba the man he is, Kubota traveled to the 1st district of Tottori, Ishiba's "royal domain" that has elected him to the Diet 13 straight times from 1986. And who since 2012 has given him over 80% support at the polls.

At the end of 2024, Kubota sat down with two unnamed females in their 40s employed at Ishiba's office, who claim to have enjoyed long personal ties.

"He doesn't actually discourage personal relationships, but he's not the kind of man who cracks jokes to try to please people," said one.

"He's earnest to the point that some even people mock him for it," the other remarked.

A female supporter, a woman in her 60s, discussed Ishiba's wife Yoshiko. The couple met when studying at Keio University's Faculty of Law.

"She's cheery and comes across as a really good person," the woman was quoted as saying. "To be frank, I don't understand her all that well, but if such a good woman had picked Ishiba for her husband, there has got to be something good about him, so I support him."

A local man in his 70s told Kubota "Ishiba-san seldom comes back home to campaign during elections, so it's usually Yoshiko who speaks to the voters. Some people even joke that it should be Yoshiko running for the Diet seat, instead of her husband."

A man in his 40s belonging to the youth division of Ishiba's local support group told Kubota, "Some people have complained that he looked dumpy dressed in a formal swallowtail coat, and that his table manners are crude, but all we can do is tell them, 'That's the way he's always been.' He's sort of like a big kid, who while on the stump during a campaign will chomp down on a rice ball and leave grains of rice clinging to his cheeks."

At Keio University, Ishiba is remembered for attending classes wearing a business suit. "Most people who have known him a long time say they've never seen him wearing anything else, to the point that we joke among themselves that he nearly comes across as a member of the imperial family," said the aforementioned office staff member.

"Some years ago, we all climbed a local mountain of about 800 meters in height and barbecued food at the summit," one support group member, a man in his 70s, recalled. "Even then, Ishiba made the climb wearing a business suit and leather shoes."

Shunji Fukuda, who served for 15 years as Ishiba's personal secretary, insists he'd never seen the prime minister dressed in anything except a business suit.

"No matter how hot the weather, he kept his necktie tightly fastened," Fukuda relates. "While out on the stump some politicians might catch a nap in the car or relax, but I never saw Ishiba do that. While between events he'd sift through documents or read a book. I don't know if he studies compulsively, but he drives himself hard."

Kubota also met four local businessmen to discuss their support for Ishiba.

"He never says anything bad about anyone," one remarked. "It was reported in some quarters that former PM Taro Aso detests Ishiba, but Ishiba was quoted in the media as describing Aso as 'a very nice man.'"

"The best thing one can say about Ishiba-kun is that he never lies," said another. "Back in the 1990s we were concerned that his broaching the subject of the consumption tax would hurt him at the polls, but he went against the LDP's vague stance and discussed it openly, despite the likelihood of his being criticized. This frankness won him even more votes. I'd like to see him stick to this mindset."

Talking to people in Ishiba's home district, the most conspicuous quality that comes across is his awkwardness. He's simply not good at promoting himself, or communicating with people. That's why until now, he'd always been regarded as a sort of "opposition party within the LDP." But now he's being tested as never before.

Will Ishiba's image as a frank and honest politician prevail, the writer wonders. Or, will the tenure of the "weirdo" who climbs mountains in a business suit soon fade away like the morning dew?

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9 Comments
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This shows how the LDP machinery works in rural Japan.

A local man in his 70s told Kubota "Ishiba-san seldom comes back home to campaign during elections, so it's usually Yoshiko who speaks to the voters. Some people even joke that it should be Yoshiko running for the Diet seat, instead of her husband."

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

"The best thing one can say about Ishiba-kun is that he never lies," said another. 

If Ishiba called Aso a "nice man," he was lying.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

... a local mountain of about 8,000 meters in height...

Fuji-san the highest mountain in Japan is only 3,776 m...

Moderator: Sorry for the typo. It should read 800.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

If Ishiba called Aso a "nice man," he was lying.

Beat me to it!

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

He seems like a nice unassuming kind of guy. If he only had some original ideas and some kind of vision that would be even better.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

"He seems like a nice unassuming kind of guy. If he only had some original ideas and some kind of vision that would be even better."

Agreed!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

No mention of his penchant for smoking?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Sweet mother of Jesus. Reminds me of how they tried to play up the Aso's love of manga.

This is nothing endearing about any of these corrupt LDP politicians.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

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