Former Defense Minister and veteran lawmaker Shigeru Ishiba, considered a lone wolf with a stubborn streak, won the presidency of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party in his fifth bid for the party’s leadership, paving the way for him to become the next prime minister.
As reported by Kyodo Newsthe 67-year-old is known for his expertise in defense and security matters, but also for what some consider his geeky enthusiasm for his personal interests and hobbies, and was one of the public favorites to be prime minister in the polls. of the media.
In the LDP, however, some have expressed concern about his lack of enthusiasm in making allies in the party.
Ishiba “is not good at taking care of others,” said a senior LDP lawmaker.
Ishiba left the LDP in 1993 after declaring the need for political reform. Although he rejoined in 1997, some party members resented his defection.
It created its own faction within the party in 2015, but it later ceased to exist with a wave of member departures.
The 12th member of the House of Representatives holds in high esteem a motto by former Deputy Prime Minister Michio Watanabe, which called for “Speaking the truth with courage and sincerity.” Ishiba’s own motto references how powerful birds, such as hawks and eagles, tend not to gather in flocks.
In 2007, he attracted attention for giving serious answers as Defense Minister about hypothetical Godzilla attacks or UFO visits.
«There is no concrete evidence that they do not exist. “We must consider endless possibilities,” he declared at a press conference, noting that it would be difficult to determine whether a UFO visit should be considered a violation of airspace, since technically the object would not be a plane from another country.
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Ishiba also has many hobbies, from making plastic military models to cooking, and has bragged about his curries. He is a big fan of the 70s girl group “Candies”, and is able to sing their songs by heart in karaoke.
Ishiba enjoys eating and reading alone, and once admitted to interrupting his sleep to read, and mentions Japanese novelists Soseki Natsume and Ogai Mori as two of his favorite authors. He has also taken night trains to return to his constituency in Tottori Prefecture due to his love for railways.
The son of a former governor of Tottori, Ishiba graduated from Keio University and worked as a banker before winning a seat in the House of Representatives in 1986, at age 29, on the advice of the late former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, whom he called his “master of politics.”
In the 2012 LDP presidential race, he lost in the runoff to the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, despite winning the first round of voting, and later gained notice by openly criticizing the former leader.
Ishiba has stressed the importance of regional revitalization, and prides himself on being someone who “has walked the countryside and knows the countryside more than anyone.”
“We hope that he will use his experience and exercise leadership,” said Yamagata Governor Mieko Yoshimura. “We would like you to actively promote policies that give hope and vitality to rural areas.”
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