Ishiba may face make-or-break moment as PM

But Kishida's grip on power gradually weakened, as his ties with LDP kingmakers who had enabled a stable government -- Taro Aso, a former prime minister who leads the only remaining faction, and Toshimitsu Motegi, the No. 2 of the LDP -- apparently cooled toward the final days of his tenure.

Despite the disbandment of the powerful factions, their influence lingered. Both Ishiba and Koizumi, who were not members of such groups, sought support from Aso and Yoshihide Suga, another former premier who still wields influence within the ruling party.

Aso, Motegi, and Suga — the three true powerbrokers in the Japanese government, as indicated in the above two paragraphs.

Japan's new ruling party chief Shigeru Ishiba may see an initial bump in public support following Friday's presidential election victory,

Ishiba was 'elected to a presidency'?

In the minds of ordinary people who have only recently begun to see wage growth outpacing inflation, the priority is how the new prime minister will shore up the flagging economy.

'People whose wage growth is outpacing inflation' would be a vanishingly tiny number. Those whose asset growth is outpacing inflation because of the LDP/BOJ policies would be a larger number.

He acknowledged that the lack of faction-based support left it up to each lawmaker to decide who to vote for, a factor that political observers say split the vote and made the outcome of the race unpredictable.

Oh my God they had to think for themselves once!!!

While I was much happier to see Ishiba chosen as leader of the right wing hawk Takaichi, I still feel that his tenure could be short lived. If an election is called and the LDP doesn't do well, he will be forced to resign and a new leader picked, and I fear the old guard will then go with either Takaichi, or Kobayashi.

New ruling party chief Shigeru Ishiba represents LDP party political continuity.

Shigeru Ishiba could  call a general election to seek a public mandate.

Shigeru Ishiba would undoubtably win hands down.

There is nothing Shigeru Ishiba would propose that would remotely scare the political horses.

But Kishida's grip on power gradually weakened, as his ties with LDP kingmakers who had enabled a stable government -- Taro Aso, a former prime minister who leads the only remaining faction, and Toshimitsu Motegi, the No. 2 of the LDP -- apparently cooled toward the final days of his tenure.

Despite the disbandment of the powerful factions, their influence lingered. Both Ishiba and Koizumi, who were not members of such groups, sought support from Aso and Yoshihide Suga, another former premier who still wields influence within the ruling party.

Here is where every Prime Minster falls on stony ground, the dead hand of these so called kingmakers influence, the faction don't just melt away like ice cream.

He just has to play the LDP's trump card at the right time,

"People of Japan (whispers) those of you who can vote, anyway (back to normal voice), if you don't elect the LDP in the next election, things will (dramatic pause, as talento's inquisitive face is superimposed at top right of screen inside little box), CHANGE! (Cut to talento making "surprised" face). And we all know that change is traumatic and scary. Thus, vote LDP and we'll keep things just as they are!"

dagonToday  06:51 am JST

"Japan's new ruling party chief Shigeru Ishiba may see an initial bump in public support following Friday's presidential election victory,"

Ishiba was 'elected to a presidency'?

Presidency of a political party. Nothing unusual about that.

Aaron WrightToday  06:34 am JST

Aso, Motegi, and Suga — the three true powerbrokers in the Japanese government, as indicated in the above two paragraphs.

Apparently Aso backed Taro Kono while Suga was backing Shinjiro Koizumi, so they might not be that influential any more. Motegi was a candidate and he only got 47 votes in the first round.

Already waiting for the next round of musical chairs.

I am amused by the talk about the need for "stability." The LDP is fossilised and bereft of ideas, with the factions only nominally dissolved but still there in the background. With Japan facing massive challenges from climate change, an ageing population and regional instability, the LDP continues to do little more than tinker around the edges of the problems. There is a real need for more radical change - though not the kind that the uber-right wing Takaichi would bring. I have been following Japanese politics for 50 years now, and I still shake my head at the complacency of the LDP. Ishiba is probably the least worst option, but you can bet that Aso is already plotting to undermine him.

Brian NichollsToday  12:29 pm JST

With Japan facing massive challenges from climate change, an ageing population and regional instability, the LDP continues to do little more than tinker around the edges of the problems.

I think the status quo suits the LDP too well for them to really want to change very much. None of these problems have a lot to do with their reelection prospects, so why worry about them too much?

After the death if Shinzo Abe, the succeeding Japanese politicians were some jokers playing that musical chair. Nothing will change, Ishiba is worst than Kishida, this old man seems out if touch with the real world !

Amateurs, all of them.The inevitable Japan will be fallen out of G7 and living as a third world country. Thanks to the LDP !