From banker to politician, how was the journey of Japan’s new PM Shigeru Ishiba, read

Japan New Prime Minister: According to news agency Associated Press, after the end of Fumio Kishida’s tenure, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is going to become the Prime Minister of Japan. He has won the election for the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party on Friday. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) currently has a majority in the lower house of parliament, which has secured Shigeru Ishiba’s position as Prime Minister of Japan.

Shigeru Ishiba will take over as Prime Minister when the Parliament session begins in Japan in October. This time there were 9 candidates in the fray for the post of PM of Japan. Ishiba managed to garner 215 votes, defeating Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi by 21 votes.

Shigeru Ishiba’s early life
Shigeru Ishiba was born on 4 February 1957, his father was a government official and mother was a teacher. His father has been the governor of Tottori Prefecture. After completing his schooling in Tottori Prefecture, Shigeru Ishiba moved to Tokyo and studied law at Keio University. After graduation, Shigeru Ishiba started working at Mitsui Bank until 1983, after which he pursued a career in politics.

Political career in LDP
In 1986, Shigeru Ishiba became the youngest member of the House of Representatives by contesting the elections from Tottori Prefecture as an LDP candidate. However, according to news agency AFP, he was sidelined several times during his career because his views sometimes conflicted with the party. According to AFP reports, this was Ishiba’s fifth and final attempt to lead the LDP.

Shigeru Ishiba has left the party once
Ishiba has previously held charge of many departments. In 1993, he served as Parliamentary Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Defense Minister and Minister for Overcoming Population Decline and Reviving the Local Economy. During 1993–1996, he briefly separated from the LDP and joined the Japan Renewal Party. However, disappointed with the factions in the party working against each other, he again joined the LDP.

Ishiba will focus on these areas
Ishiba is also known as the ‘rival’ of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as he contested against him in the 2012 elections. During this time, Ishiba had vocally criticized the policies of Shinzo Abe. Leading the world’s fourth-largest economy, Ishiba aims to reduce inflation, improve wages, reduce reliance on nuclear power and address security threats from China and North Korea.

Also read: Shigeru Ishiba becomes the new PM of Japan, three Prime Ministers changed in just four years