Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to become Japan's next prime minister after winning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election on Friday in a runoff vote, defeating economic security minister Sanae Takaichi.
In his fifth presidential bid, Ishiba won 215 of the 414 votes cast by LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members while Takaichi secured 194.
Ishiba, 67, is set to be named prime minster in parliament next Tuesday, bringing into focus when he will call a general election by dissolving the powerful House of Representatives.
The new leader faces the challenge of revamping a party stung by a slush funds scandal and restoring voter trust ahead of the not-so-distant national election.
His leadership skills will be put to the test as economic growth remains shaky against a backdrop of rising costs affecting households, while provocative actions by China, North Korea and Russia continue to pose security threats to Japan.
The runoff vote was held after none of the record nine contenders secured a majority of the 735 votes cast by LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members in the first round. Shinjiro Koizumi, the youngest candidate at 43, failed in his first attempt.
The vote came days after the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan elected former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as its leader on Monday. Noda led Japan for around one year from 2011 under the predecessor party of the CDPJ.
The son of a Tottori governor, Ishiba worked as a banker before winning a seat in the House of Representatives in 1986 on advice from the late former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, who he calls his "teacher of politics."
Ishiba is known to be a policy expert well-versed in defense and regional revitalization, is popular among local supporters but has struggled to expand his support among party lawmakers, one of the major reasons why his past four presidential bids have failed.
Backed by conservatives aligned with the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, known for his hawkish views, Takaichi, 63, aspired to become Japan's first-ever female prime minister. It was her second time running in a party leadership election.
The other contenders were former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, 49, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 63, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, 71, former health minister Katsunobu Kato, 68, Digital Minister Taro Kono, 61, and LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi, 68.
During the 15-day campaign period, the longest on record, the nine candidates presented their visions for Japan, a rapidly aging nation with low growth potential and a key U.S. ally in Asia, where the security environment is increasingly severe.
The wide field reflected the diminished power of intraparty factions, most of which have been forced to disband after the slush funds scandal related to fundraising parties, giving party members more freedom to vote according to their own preferences.
Outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who defeated both Takaichi and Kono in 2021, also encouraged members of his Cabinet to compete in the race. Still, the debates held among the candidates, hosted by the LDP and media outlets, did not go into depth, partly due to time constraints.
They shared the goal of revising Japan's war-renouncing Constitution but differed on such other contentious issues as whether to allow married couples to use different surnames, which some conservatives see as a challenge to traditional family values.
© KYODO
40 Comments
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Kaowaiinekochanknaw
Quite suprising tbh
deanzaZZR
Democracy in action if the scope of a democracy is a party vote.
Takaichi, bring it. Her and Trump together will be chaos. Fun times, indeed.
Jim
The opposition must be laughing and celebrating at this!
Abe234
No different than say the US/French, UK NZ parties choosing their candidates and then the public can choose.
Fighto!
Takaichi looks to have done it. Aso's endorsement of her probably got her into the runoff - and will likely get her over Ishiba who was well behind with the Diet members. Koizumi the most popular among his Diet colleagues.
deanzaZZR
No public election is necessary.
Also the LDP has been in power 95+% of the time since 1952.
Fighto!
Not likely.
Realistically, Takaichi or Ishiba will almost certainly thump the opposition in the upcoming general election.
Moonraker
Oh dear!
Fighto!
Hats off to Ishiba-san.
elephant200
What an "Omen", how this guy is professional to do the job? Amateur !
Some dude
Called it. The safe pair of hands wins.
I guess the LDP can now consider itself to have made progress, at least letting a woman get to the runoff stage.
David Brent
As expected. As if the old men who rule Japan would ever allow a woman to be Prime Minister...!
Asiaman7
Abe-protege Sanae Takaichi coming in a strong second says a whole lot about Japan’s leadership. Thank goodness we avoided that mess. But her and her supporters still have a strong grip on policy — unfortunately.
Cephus
Congratulations, Ishiba San, the Diet have spoken. Time to roll your sleeves and get down to work.
Some dude
Congratulations, Ishiba San, the Diet have spoken. Time to roll your sleeves and ****maintain everything exactly as it is.
Fixed it for you!
Some dude
As expected. As if the old men who rule Japan would ever allow a woman to be Prime Minister...!
Don't worry, they'll promote her to Ishiba's tea-maker.
elephant200
Abe-protege Sanae Takaichi coming in a strong second says a whole lot about Japan’s leadership.
That means nothing, Abe-san is dead. Without his protection, she just can't do anything as like Mr.Kishida done in the past three years. Time wasting!
Brian Trout
Dude looks foolish!
Cephus
"As expected. As if the old men who rule Japan would ever allow a woman to be Prime Minister...!
Don't worry, they'll promote her to Ishiba's tea-maker."
Does really matter whether the PM is a man or a woman? whoever is most capable should have the job regardless of the genitalia.
Sh1mon M4sada
Surprising, and not surprising. Old people vote for old people...
I wouldn't have voted for Takaichi, apparently she's an extreme hardliner and wears the pants even in her own family. It would have been a comedy to see her dictates to old blokes.
IMHO, Ishiba will soon suffer the same factional leaks against him as he has done to others.
deanzaZZR
Does anyone even like this guy? He seems to have disappeared for years and suddenly he is PM.
factchecker
Good grief. If this was the least worst option we're doomed.
deanzaZZR
The rubber stamp Diet vote happens in a few days.
isabelle
As you and the rest of the pro-CCP mob have been told many times, the Japanese people will have their voices heard in the general election, as with the many other parliamentary democracies around the world.
You may not understand, being a CCP zealot, but yes, this is democracy, and yes it does work. Just like Taiwan, which Ishiba recently visited. I certainly hope he does so again.
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/08/37a4f375b555-taiwans-lai-seeks-unity-in-talks-with-veteran-japan-lawmaker-ishiba.html
Donald Seekins
Japan came within a cat's whisker of having its very own version of Sarah Palin run the country!
Brian Nicholls
Ah, the good old LDP. Give them a choice between a younger man, a woman and an old man and you can guarantee they'll choose the old man almost every time. At least the country has dodged a bullet with Takaichi not getting in.
dagon
I wonder how far Ishiba's plans for an 'Asian NATO" and joint management of US military bases in Japan will go.
No very far I reckon.
Simon Foston
Fighto!
Today 03:05 pm JST
That's not saying a whole lot. I a fair and evenly-balanced contest the LDP would stand no chance against any credible, competent opposition party.
Fighto!
Well, that's really up to the opposition to get their act together, present attractive, different, policy and campaign well. Can't just blame the LDP, they need to look inwards.
It's in the best interests of the nation to have a robust opposition.
NCIS Reruns
Thank Buddha we've got the bureaucrats in Kasumigaseki to really run the country. .
fxgai
Readers can guess the other partial reasons for that.
Yubaru
Not one bit!
Blacklabel
yeah totally critical stuff like that /s
not my country, not my business,
Japanese friends sure are blowing up my socials though telling me how bad this is for them and me.
Moonraker
Oh dear again! The man who can only move his chin and nod his head wins. Gotta learn to smile a bit more for us to get over the uncanny valley.
browny1
Not unexpected at all.
Koizumi, while having a "fresh" appearance on his side was deemed to be still a greenhorn by many and would have jumped the queue by miles.
Takaichi had the advantage of turning social tides on her side by being the first woman to be elected leader, but surely was deemed to be a volatile card with her often neo-con stances.
That left good ol' Ishiba remaining to sit squarely between the two, fitting into the role with the least feathers ruffled.
What it means for the country is unknown atm, but rest assured a huge sweeping brush will not be wielded, but rather a a serious" feather dusting will take place.
Daniel Neagari
Yay!! Ishiba won... my Oshi（推し）so, he is my Oshi no Ko... i guess.
Good for him, and to be true, I have some hopes too, little (since he is a polititian) but still hope
Gorramcowboy
As I've commented once in the past, I'd take a head of lettuce to rule the country than this guy.
Nibek32
Another very old Japanese politician that will keep Japan in the past.
Baradzed
Its interesting that oftentimes politicians are getting on the peak of their careers at the age when most men are retired. Sounds like its not so mentally and physically demanding job, which is a bit surprising.
fallaffel
Lol, you're right.
I guess Ishiba was the best of the hopefuls.