Shigeru Ishiba, Japan’s former Defense Minister, is all set to assume a new role next week when he will be sworn-in as the Prime Minister of the country. Japan’s governing party—the Liberal Democratic Party—has picked him as its leader, setting the path for him to become Prime Minister next week. The Liberal Democratic Party’s governing coalition controls parliament in Japan.
Who Is Shigeru Ishiba?
An LDP leader, Shigeru Ishiba is considered a defense policy expert and has already served as the country’s Defense Minister. Ishiba, first elected to parliament in 1986, has held several key positions, including defense minister, agriculture minister, and LDP secretary general under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In a surprising comeback, he defeated Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, a staunch conservative who had aimed to become Japan’s first female prime minister. At 67, the former banker was contesting the party leadership for the fifth time, declaring it his “final battle.”
A Defense Hawk
Ishiba is known for his meticulous defense maneuvers and policy vision. He had proposed an Asian version of the NATO military alliance in the past for regional peace and stability. On Friday, he said that the idea is to form ‘an organic connection’ of existing US-led defense networks such as the ANZUS alliance with Australia and New Zealand and its alliances with South Korea and the Philippines.
Ishiba has proposed a more balanced Japan-US security alliance, suggesting that establishing Japanese Self-Defense Forces training bases in the United States would help strengthen bilateral ties. A strong supporter of Taiwan’s democracy, he also advocates for the creation of a dedicated disaster management agency in Japan, one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.
Known for his hardline stance on defence, Ishiba has also stirred controversy among party leaders by advocating for gender equality and supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage.