‘Asian NATO’ proponent elected Japanese PM

Shigeru Ishiba, a former defense minister, replaces Fumio Kishida, who was criticized over his handling of corruption scandals

Shigeru Ishiba has become Japan’s new prime minister after winning an election within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Ishiba, a former defense minister, will succeed Fumio Kishida, who has struggled with low approval ratings amid a series of corruption scandals.

The 67-year-old politician, who served as defense minister and agriculture minister in the 2000s, secured the post in a vote on Friday, which was his fifth attempt at securing the party’s leadership. Ishiba won a runoff by 215 votes to 194, having come through a first round of voting against eight other candidates.

Following the election, Ishiba promised that his party would now be “reborn and regain the trust of the people.” He vowed to tackle high inflation and achieve “growth in real wages,” according to CNN. He has also called for Japan – a key US ally in the region – to spearhead the creation of an Asian version of NATO to counter potential threats from China and North Korea.

Ishiba has been described not only as a progressive, but also “an outlier” and “lone wolf” who is often unafraid to take on his own party, earning him both high-level enemies and grassroots allies.

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He has criticized Japan’s policy on the increased use of nuclear energy and not allowing married couples to use separate surnames. He was also a strong critic of his predecessor Kishida's handling of the party’s corruption scandal earlier this year.

The controversy was seen as one of the main factors that paved the way for Kishida’s decision in August not to seek re-election. The former premier’s approval ratings plummeted last fall when a scandal erupted in which the Liberal Democratic Party allegedly raised undeclared political funds through ticket sales for party events. Kishida was not personally involved in the events, but was widely criticized for failing to rein in his party colleagues.