Wikipedia

Shigeru Ishiba

Prime Minister of Japan since 2024

Shigeru Ishiba (石破 茂, Ishiba Shigeru, born 4 February 1957) is a Japanese politician who has been the Prime Minister of Japan since 2024. Ishiba was elected President of the Liberal Democratic Party in 2024.[1] He is seen as a moderate.[2]

Shigeru Ishiba
石破 茂
Official portrait, 2024
Prime Minister of Japan
Assumed office
1 October 2024
MonarchNaruhito
Preceded byFumio Kishida
President of the Liberal Democratic Party
Assumed office
27 September 2024
Vice PresidentTarō Asō
Yoshihide Suga
Secretary-GeneralToshimitsu Motegi
Hiroshi Moriyama
Preceded byFumio Kishida
Ministerial offices
Minister in charge of Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy
In office
3 September 2014 – 3 August 2016
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byKozo Yamamoto
Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party
In office
26 September 2012 – 3 September 2014
PresidentShinzo Abe
Preceded byNobuteru Ishihara
Succeeded bySadakazu Tanigaki
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
In office
24 September 2008 – 16 September 2009
Prime MinisterTarō Asō
Preceded bySeiichi Ota
Nobutaka Machimura (acting)
Succeeded byHirotaka Akamatsu
Minister of Defense
In office
26 September 2007 – 2 August 2008
Prime MinisterYasuo Fukuda
Preceded byMasahiko Kōmura
Succeeded byYoshimasa Hayashi
Director-General of the Japan Defense Agency
In office
30 September 2002 – 27 September 2004
Prime MinisterJunichiro Koizumi
Preceded byGen Nakatani
Succeeded byYoshinori Ohno
Member of the House of Representatives
Assumed office
8 July 1986
Preceded bymulti-member district
Constituency
Majority85,456 (68.2%)
Personal details
Born (1957-02-04) 4 February 1957 (age 67)
Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic (1986–1993; 1997–present)
Other political
affiliations		Japan Renewal Party
(1993–1994)
New Frontier Party
(1994–1996)
Independent (1996–1997)
Spouse(s)Yoshiko Nakamura
(m. 1983)
Children2
ParentsJiro Ishiba (father)
RelativesIchizo Ishiba (grandfather)
Alma materKeio University (LLB)
Signature
WebsiteOfficial website

Ishiba was Director General of the Japan Defense Agency under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi from 2002 to 2004. He was Minister of Defense under Yasuo Fukuda from 2007 to 2008 and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries under Tarō Asō from 2008 to 2009. The LDP lost government in 2009, entering Opposition.

In August 2020, he announced his candidacy for the Liberal Democratic leadership election to replace Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He lost the election on 14 September to Yoshihide Suga, coming in third place.

In July 2024, Ishiba announced his third candidacy for the Liberal Democratic leadership election to replace Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He won the election on 27 September 2024, defeating Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Ishiba has been seen as a controversial figure in the Liberal Democratic Party because of his criticisms of his party, as well as his liberal stances on social issues.[3] He supported a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa in 1993 and was a critic of Shinzo Abe, despite serving in the governments of both prime ministers.[3]

Early life

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Ishiba was born on 4 February 1957 in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. His father Jirō Ishiba, was a government official. His mother was a teacher.[4][5][6]

Ishiba grew up and went to school in Tottori Prefecture. After graduating from Tottori University Junior High School, he moved away to attend Keio Senior High School, going on to study law at Keio University in Tokyo. After graduating in 1979, he began working at Mitsui Bank.[7][8] Former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, inspired Ishiba to become a politician.[9]

Political career

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Ishiba left the bank in 1983 and began working in Kakuei Tanaka's faction of the Liberal Democratic Party. In July 1986, Ishiba ran as an LDP candidate in the Tottori at-large district and was elected to the House of Representative. At the age of 29, he was the youngest member of the House at the time.[10][11] Ishiba is part of the ultranationalist and far-right organization, Nippon Kaigi.[12]

In his early years in the National Diet, Ishiba became interested in defense policy because of the Gulf War in 1990 and a 1992 visit to North Korea.[13]

Ishiba was appointed as the Minister of Defense in the cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on 26 September 2007,[2] serving in that post until 1 August 2008.

Following Fukuda's resignation, Ishiba ran as a candidate for the LDP presidency. In the leadership election, held on 22 September 2008, Tarō Asō won with 351 of the 527 votes; Ishiba placed fifth and last with 25 votes.[14] In Aso's Cabinet, appointed on 24 September 2008, Ishiba was named as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.[15]

Abe government

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In 2012, while the LDP was still in opposition, Ishiba ran again for the presidency of the LDP and lost to Shinzō Abe. He accepted the position of secretary general on 27 September 2012.[16] Abe re-appointed him to the position after the December 2012 election in which the LDP returned to government.[17]

Ishiba left cabinet in April 2016 after not accepting a nomination to be the Minister of Agriculture.[18] Ishiba ran against Abe in the 2018 LDP presidential election, but lost.[13]

In 2020, after Shinzo Abe's resignation, Ishiba ran for the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party, losing to Yoshihide Suga, placing third overall.[19] Ishiba decided not to run in the 2021 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, instead supporting Taro Kono.[20]

Prime Minister of Japan

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In July 2024, Ishiba announced his third candidacy for the Liberal Democratic leadership election to replace Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.[21] He won the election on 27 September 2024, defeating Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi.[22] After his election, the Japanese stock market experienced a sudden drop in response to Ishiba's economic policies, which was named "Ishiba Shock".[23][24] His victory was seen as an upset.[25]

On 30 September, day before taking office, Ishiba called for snap parliamentary elections to be held on 27 October 2024.[26] Ishiba was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Japan on 1 October 2024.[27]

On 9 October, Ishiba dissolved the House of Representatives and called for a general election on 27 October.[28] On election day, LDP saw its most serious defeat since the 2009 election, with 67 seats lost and therefore its majority in the Diet. On the next day, Ishiba expressed his plans to stay as Prime Minister despite the election results.[29] On 11 November, Ishiba was reelected as prime minister of a minority government during a session of the Diet, after winning a total of 221 votes from both the first and second rounds, defeating Yoshihiko Noda of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, who secured only 160 votes.[30][31][32]

Ishiba has been criticized for several gaffes while in office. In October 2024, it was reported that government officials had edited an official photograph of Ishiba's cabinet to hide signs of Ishiba looking messy.[33] In November 2024, he appeared to have slept during a session of the Diet.[34] At the APEC Peru 2024 summit, he was again criticized for greeting other world leaders while seated and watching a dance at the summit's welcoming ceremony with his arms crossed.[35] In another incident, he was seen publicly eating onigiri and munching on it without closing his mouth.[36]

Personal life

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Ishiba married Yoshiko Nakamura in 1983. They have two daughters. He is a Protestant Christian. Ishiba is known as a "otaku" for military, vehicles, trains and Japanese idol.

References

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  1. ↑ "Shigeru Ishiba is set to become Japan's next prime minister after winning ruling party leadership election". CNBC. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Fukuda Cabinet launched / Changes minimized to reduce impact on Diet business" Archived 2008-03-02 at the Wayback Machine, The Yomiuri Shimbun, 26 September 2007.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Semans, Himari (24 September 2024). "Why is Shigeru Ishiba so unpopular among his LDP peers?".
  4. ↑ Tokugawa, Iehiro (April 24, 2014). "政権与党のNo.2に聞く「自民党幹事長の本音」－－石破茂氏（自民党幹事長）×徳川家広氏（政治経済評論家）". Keizaikai. Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-10.
  5. ↑ Harefa, Surya (2023). A Free Church in a Free State: The Possibilities of Abraham Kuyper’s Ecclesiology for Japanese Evangelical Christians. Carlisle: Langham Publishing. pp. 57–58. ISBN 9781839738883.
  6. ↑ Template:Kotobank
  7. ↑ Saika, Nobuyuki (2020-09-09). "【自民党総裁選】菅氏、岸田氏、石破氏３人のキリスト教との関わり - クリプレ". Christian Press (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  8. ↑ "農林水産総括政務次官. 石破 茂 プロフィール". Prime Minister's Office of Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  9. ↑ Kobayashi, Yoshiya (17 May 2019). "「ワシが葬儀委員長だ」　石破茂氏を参らせた父親の田中派葬". zakzak. Sankei Digital. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  10. ↑ Ueda, Mao, ed. (3 March 2018). "ブレない、群れない、政治家・石破茂の人生". News Picks. Uzabase. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  11. ↑ "Shigeru Ishiba succeeds in fifth bid to become Japan's prime minister". Straits Times. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  12. ↑ "Abe's reshuffle promotes right-wingers". Korea Joongang Daily. 2014-09-05. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Yoshida, Reiji (27 August 2018). "The man standing between Abe and his ambitions: Who is Shigeru Ishiba?". The Japan Times. Tokyo. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021.
  14. ↑ "Aso elected LDP head"". Yomiuri Shimbun. 22 September 2008. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008.
  15. ↑ "Aso elected premier / Announces Cabinet lineup himself; poll likely on Nov. 2". Yomiuri Shimbun. 25 September 2008. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008.
  16. ↑ "Ishiba to be LDP's new secretary general". The Japan Times. 28 September 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012.
  17. ↑ "Japan's Abe Appoints Ex-Rival as His No. 2". The Wall Street Journal. 28 September 2012. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016.
  18. ↑ 鹿吉, 大基 (3 October 2016). "安倍内閣に反旗を翻した石破茂、「次の総理」を目指す覚悟を決めた". President Online. President Inc. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  19. ↑ "Yoshihide Suga wins landslide in Japanese leadership contest". Financial Times. 2020-09-14. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  20. ↑ "LDP's Shigeru Ishiba formally throws support behind PM contender Taro Kono". The Japan Times. 2021-09-15. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  21. ↑ 森岡, 航平 (27 July 2024). "石破氏「この国を鳥取から変えたい」　総裁選に向けて支持呼びかけ". The Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 2024-07-27. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  22. ↑ "【速報中】自民党新総裁に石破氏 決選投票で高市氏破る". 日本経済新聞 (in Japanese). 2024-09-27. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
  23. ↑ "円高・株価急落"石破ショック"に経済専門家「総裁選中の増税や金融引き締めに積極的なスタンスに…」（スポニチアネックス）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 30 September 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  24. ↑ 産経新聞 (2024-09-30). "30日の東京株式市場、一時1600円超安 〝石破ショック〟の様相呈す". 産経新聞：産経ニュース (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 30 September 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  25. ↑ 真之, 窪田. "石破新総裁で日経平均が下がるところは「買い場」と考える理由（窪田真之）". トウシル 楽天証券の投資情報メディア (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 30 September 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  26. ↑ "Japan's incoming PM announces snap October election". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  27. ↑ "Shigeru Ishiba, 67, is Japan's new PM after winning closely fought polls". India Today. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  28. ↑ "Japan PM Ishiba dissolves lower house for Oct. 27 election". Kyodo News. October 9, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Ishiba Signals Intention to Remain as Japan PM Despite Party's Election Defeat". Bloomberg.com. 28 October 2024.
  30. ↑ "Japan: PM Ishiba chosen for new term, despite lost majority – DW – 11/11/2024". dw.com.
  31. ↑ Ota, Yusuke Amano and Akihisa. "Japan PM Ishiba's minority government walks a tightrope as opposition may call no-confidence vote at will". asianews.network.
  32. ↑ "Japan's Ishiba stays as PM despite election setback". BBC. 2024-11-11.
  33. ↑ "Japan's government admits editing cabinet photo". BBC. 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  34. ↑ "Ishiba suspected of falling asleep during Diet session to select PM". Kyodo News. 2024-11-11. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  35. ↑ "Japan PM Ishiba criticized for "bad manners" at APEC summit". Kyodo News. 2024-11-20. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  36. ↑ "Japan government approves $92 bn extra budget". France 24. 2024-11-29. Retrieved 2024-11-29.

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