Shigeru Ishiba (born 4 February 1957) is a Japanese politician who has served as

Prime Minister of Japan The is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Force ...

and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2024. He has been a member of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

since 1986 and served as

Minister of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

from 2007 to 2008 and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 2008 to 2009, as well as secretary-general of the LDP from 2012 to 2014. Ishiba was born into a political family, with his father, Jirō Ishiba, serving as governor of

Tottori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, least populous prefecture of Japan at 538,525 (2023) and has a geographic area of . ...

from 1958 to 1974 before later becoming the

Minister for Home Affairs An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

. After graduating from

Keio University , abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university located in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally established as a school for Rangaku, Western studies in 1858 in Edo. It was granted university status in 1920, becomi ...

, Ishiba worked at a bank before entering politics after his father's death. Ishiba was elected to the House of Representatives in the 1986 general election as a member of the LDP at the age of 29. As a

Diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

member, Ishiba specialized in agricultural policy and defense policy. He served as parliamentary vice minister of agriculture under the premiership of Kiichi Miyazawa but left the LDP in 1993 to join the

Japan Renewal Party The was a Japanese political party that existed in the early 1990s. It was founded in 1993 by 44 members of the Liberal Democratic Party led by Tsutomu Hata and Ichirō Ozawa. It was instrumental in ending the LDP's 38-year dominance of Japanes ...

. After transitioning through several parties and returning to the LDP in 1997, Ishiba held various prominent positions, including Director-General of the Defense Agency under the premiership of

Junichiro Koizumi Junichiro Koizumi ( ; , ''Koizumi Jun'ichirō'' ; born 8 January 1942) is a Japanese retired politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ...

, Minister of Defense under the premiership of

Yasuo Fukuda is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving in that role from 2000 to 2004 under Prime Ministers Yoshirō Mori an ...

and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries under the premiership of

Tarō Asō is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he also served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance from 2012 to 2021. He was the longest-serving De ...

. Ishiba became a key figure within the LDP, running for party leadership multiple times. First in

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

where he placed fifth, and notably against

Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. ...

in the

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

and 2018 elections. Despite his criticisms of LDP factionalism, he established his own faction, Suigetsukai, in 2015, aiming for leadership. After Abe's second resignation, Ishiba ran in

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

but placed third behind

Yoshihide Suga is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2020 to 2021. He had served as Chief Cabinet Secretary during the second administration ...

. Ishiba declined to run and endorsed Taro Kono in the

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

election which was won by Fumio Kishida. After Kishida announced that he would step down, Ishiba ran for the fifth time in the

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

election where he defeated Sanae Takaichi in a second round run-off, becoming the new party leader and

prime minister–designate A prime minister–designate or premier–designate is the person who is expected to succeed an incumbent as prime minister, or premier, as the result of a general election, winning the leadership of a currently governing party, or being named by t ...

, and was formally elected Prime Minister by the National Diet on 1 October 2024. As prime minister, Ishiba almost immediately announced a snap

general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

, where the ruling LDP coalition lost its majority for the first time since

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

and suffered its second-worst result in party history. In the

National Diet , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

, Ishiba has relied on opposition parties to pass legislation due to his coalition's

minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in ...

status. On foreign policy, Ishiba has moved Japan economically closer to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

amidst

protectionist Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations. ...

policies being employed by the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, while continuing to support

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

as during the Russian invasion that began in 2022. Ishiba has developed a reputation as a political maverick due to his willingness to criticize his own party, as well as his relatively liberal stances on social issues; he supported a motion of no-confidence against the Miyazawa Cabinet in 1993 and criticized Abe throughout his second premiership, despite serving in the governments of both prime ministers. During his tenure as prime minister however, Ishiba has been criticized for being too hesitant to embrace reform.

Early life

Ishiba was born on 4 February 1957, in

Chiyoda, Tokyo , known as Chiyoda City in English,
." ''City of Chiyoda''. Retrieved on December 28, 2008. is a S ...

, while his

registered domicile In Japan, a registered domicile (本籍, ''honseki'') is the place where a Japanese citizen is considered to have their roots. It determines the city/ward/town office where their koseki is kept. Features A registered domicile is not necessar ...

was his father's hometown in the Yazu District of

. His father Jirō Ishiba was a government official then serving as Vice Minister of Construction. His mother was a teacher and a granddaughter of the Christian minister Kanamori Michitomo. Jirō Ishiba was elected Governor of Tottori Prefecture in 1958, so the family moved to Tottori; Ishiba has no memory of living in Tokyo. Jirō Ishiba would serve as governor until 1974, and was later elected to the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...

and served as

in the

Zenkō Suzuki Cabinet The Zenkō Suzuki Cabinet is the 70th Cabinet of Japan headed by Zenkō Suzuki from July 17, 1980, to November 27, 1982. Cabinet Reshuffled Cabinet A Cabinet reshuffle took place on November 30, 1981. References

{{Cabinets of J ...

. Shigeru Ishiba grew up and attended school in Tottori Prefecture. After graduating from Tottori University Junior High School, he moved away to attend

Keio Senior High School is a private boys' high school in Kōhoku-ku, Yokohama, Japan. It is one of the integrated schools of Keio University. Overview The Keio High Schools No. 1 and No. 2 merged into Keio SHS in 1948. its student body was 2,200. History * In 1 ...

, going on to study law at

in Tokyo. After graduating in 1979, he began working at the

Mitsui Bank was a major Japanese bank from 1876 to 1990. The home bank of the Mitsui conglomerate, it was one of the largest Japanese banks for much of the 20th century, together with Dai-Ichi Bank, Mitsubishi Bank, Sumitomo Bank, and Yasuda / Fuji Bank. I ...

. His father died in 1981. Former prime minister

Kakuei Tanaka was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974. Known for his background in construction and earthy and tenacious political style, Tanaka is the only modern Japanese prime minister who ...

, who was a friend of his father, served as chairman of the funeral committee. Tanaka encouraged Ishiba to become a politician to carry on his father's legacy.

Early political career (1986–2024)

Ishiba left the bank in 1983 and began working in the secretariat of the Thursday Club, Kakuei Tanaka's faction of the Liberal Democratic Party. In the 1986 Japanese general election Ishiba ran as an LDP

candidate A candidate, or nominee, is a prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position. For example, one can be a candidate for membership in a group (sociology), group or election to an offic ...

in the Tottori at-large district and was elected to the House of Representatives. At the age of 29, he was the youngest member of the House at the time. As a junior Diet member, Ishiba specialised in agricultural policy, but the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

in 1990 and a 1992 visit to

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

spurred his interest in defense policy. He served as parliamentary vice minister of agriculture under the Miyazawa Cabinet, before defecting from the LDP in 1993, for the

. When the Japan Renewal Party merged with several other parties Ishiba became part of the New Frontier Party, but he was disillusioned by the constant struggles between Ozawa and non-Ozawa factions in the party and left in 1996. He rejoined the LDP the following year. Ishiba was reappointed parliamentary vice minister of Agriculture under the Mori Cabinet in July 2000 but was switched to the position of deputy director general of the

Defense Agency The is an Ministry of Japan, executive department of the Government of Japan responsible for preserving the peace and independence of Japan, and maintaining the country's national security and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The ministry is h ...

in December. He was replaced when the Koizumi Cabinet was appointed. When Koizumi reshuffled the cabinet in September 2002, Ishiba became Director General of the Defense Agency, entering the cabinet for the first time. Ishiba served as director general during the 2003 invasion of Iraq by an American-led coalition. He defended the legality of the invasion and paved the way for the first overseas deployment of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces without UN mandate, sending troops to Iraq in January 2004 to assist with reconstruction efforts. He left cabinet in September 2004. Ishiba was appointed as the

in the cabinet of Prime Minister

on 26 September 2007, serving in that post until 1 August 2008. Ishiba was the second person in the cabinet of Fukuda to express belief in the existence of

UFOs An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes ...

after

Nobutaka Machimura was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. In the same interview, he jokingly said that he would mobilize the

Japan Self-Defense Forces The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense ...

in response to an appearance by

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...

Following Fukuda's resignation, Ishiba stood as a

for the LDP presidency. In the leadership election, held on 22 September 2008,

won with 351 of the 527 votes; Ishiba placed fifth and last with 25 votes. In

Asō Cabinet The Asō Cabinet governed Japan from 24 September 2008 to 16 September 2009 by Prime Minister of Japan, Prime Minister Tarō Asō after his predecessor Yasuo Fukuda resigned. The cabinet resigned after a year in office following the defeat in the ...

, appointed on 24 September 2008, Ishiba was named as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. He called for Asō to resign after the LDP's defeat in the 2009 Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election. Ishiba retained his seat in the 2009 House of Representatives election, otherwise a crushing defeat for the LDP. After

Sadakazu Tanigaki is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1983 to 2017, as Minister of Finance from 2003 to 2006, as President of the Liberal Democratic Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2009 to 2012, as Minis ...

was elected to replace Asō as party president, Ishiba was appointed chairman of the Policy Research Council, one of the top positions in the party. Ishiba was thus one of the most prominent LDP figures when the party was in opposition. He was removed when Tanigaki reshuffled the party leadership in September 2011. In September 2012, while the LDP was still in opposition, Ishiba again stood for the presidency of the LDP and was narrowly defeated by former prime minister

. He accepted the position of secretary-general on 27 September 2012. Ishiba was re-appointed to the position under Abe's second premiership after the December 2012 general election in which the LDP returned to government. Ishiba attracted considerable criticism for his statement in November 2013 that likened peaceful public protests against the new secrecy bill being introduced by his government to "acts of terrorism". He later withdrew the comment. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raising a signboard

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raising a signboard

In the September 2014 cabinet reshuffle, Abe moved Ishiba from his position as LDP Secretary-General and appointed him to a newly created office of Minister for Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy. He was reported to have declined the offer of a cabinet post responsible for the government's upcoming security legislation. In spite of having been a vocal critic of factionalism in the LDP, Ishiba launched his own faction, the Suigetsukai, on 28 September 2015, with the aim of succeeding sitting prime minister, Shinzo Abe. With 19 members, excluding Ishiba, it was one member short of the 20 votes required for nomination for LDP leadership. Ishiba left cabinet in the April 2016 reshuffle, having declined the ministry of Agriculture. Ishiba challenged Abe in the 2018 LDP presidential election but was defeated again. In 2020, following Shinzo Abe's second resignation, Ishiba ran for the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party, losing to

, placing third overall. Ishiba declined to run in the 2021 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, instead endorsing Taro Kono.

Premiership (2024–present)

Shigeru Ishiba was designated as the 102nd Prime Minister 4

Then-LDP leader and prime minister Fumio Kishida announced on 14 August 2024 that he would not seek re-election as LDP leader in the leadership election in September, effectively resigning as prime minister, following record-low approval ratings from an ongoing slush fund scandal and previous controversies with the LDP's affiliation with the

Unification Church The Unification Church () is a new religious movement, whose members are called Unificationists or sometimes informally Moonies. It was founded in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon in Seoul, South Korea, as the Holy Spirit Association for the Unificatio ...

. Ishiba alongside Sanae Takaichi and

Shinjirō Koizumi is a Japanese politician serving as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan), Minister of Agriculture since May 2025. He previously served as the Minister of the Environment (Japan), Minister of the Environment from September ...

emerged as the frontrunners to succeed him. In the leadership election on 27 September 2024, Ishiba narrowly defeated Takaichi in a second-round runoff, winning a total of 215 votes (52.57%) from 189 parliamentary members and 26 prefectural chapters, making him the new LDP leader and

; the election was dubbed "Ishibamania" by the foreign media. Ishiba's victory was described by commentators as unexpected and an upset, owing to his long history of failed leadership bids and his relative unpopularity with many LDP members of the National Diet. After his election, the Japanese

stock market A stock market, equity market, or share market is the aggregation of buyers and sellers of stocks (also called shares), which represent ownership claims on businesses; these may include ''securities'' listed on a public stock exchange a ...

experienced a sudden drop in response to Ishiba's economic policies, which was named "Ishiba Shock". Three days after the LDP presidential election, the new party officials under Ishiba were inaugurated. Ishiba appointed former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga vice president of the party, while the outgoing Vice President Tarō Asō was made chief advisor, and Hiroshi Moriyama became secretary general. Shun'ichi Suzuki was made chairman of the General Council after Takaichi declined the post. Itsunori Onodera was made chairman of the Policy Research Council and Shinjiro Koizumi chairman of the Election Strategy Committee. The appointments were seen as emphasizing stability in the party. Shigeru Ishiba and Hirofumi Yoshimura January 2025

Shigeru Ishiba and Hirofumi Yoshimura January 2025

On 30 September, Ishiba announced his plans to dissolve the

on 9 October and called for snap general election to be held on 27 October 2024. This decision, which was announced before he was elected Prime Minister by the Diet, drew criticism from opposition parties as it did not allow time for a debate at a budget committee meeting prior to the House's dissolution. Despite this resistance, the Lower House voted in favor of closing the extraordinary Diet session on 9 October. Ishiba was elected by the

and appointed as

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

by Emperor

Naruhito Naruhito (born 23 February 1960) is Emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne following 2019 Japanese imperial transition, the abdication of his father, Akihito, on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era. He is the 126th monarch, ...

Tokyo Imperial Palace is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor h ...

on 1 October 2024, becoming the twenty-fifth Liberal Democratic Prime Minister. Ishiba announced key appointments ahead of the snap general election on 27 October 2024. His Cabinet included rivals from the leadership race, though Sanae Takaichi's exclusion created internal party friction. Uniting the divided ruling party became a primary focus for Ishiba after the closely contested leadership race. In his first policy speech on 4 October, Ishiba named Japan's low birth rate and the regional security situation as among his primary concerns, describing the former as a "quiet emergency" and the latter as at its "most severe since the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

". He also pledged to continue efforts to ensure the emergence of the Japanese economy from deflation and called for stabilization in the membership of the

Imperial House of Japan The is the reigning dynasty of Japan, consisting of those members of the extended family of the reigning emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present constitution of Japan, the emperor is "the symbol of the State ...

amid a lack of male successors to the throne. He also expressed regret for the 2023–2024 Japanese slush fund scandal.

2024 general election and Second Cabinet

On 9 October, Ishiba dissolved the House of Representatives in preparation for the general election on 27 October. On the same day, the LDP decided to pull its endorsement of 12 politicians implicated in the slush fund scandal, and would not allow them to be elected via proportional representation should they lose in their single seat constituencies. Ishiba indicated that the party would resume support for the politicians if they win reelection. Other politicians who have been disciplined by the party over the slush fund scandal would also not be allowed to run on the LDP's proportional representation list. Despite these measures, LDP still faced its most serious defeat since the 2009 election, with 68 seats lost and therefore its majority in the Diet. On the next day, Ishiba expressed his intention to remain as Prime Minister despite the election results. Commentators noted that his decision for the snap election election may jeopardize his leadership, as rising inflation and a funding scandal threaten his LDP's majority, prompting potential alliances with smaller parties amid growing economic concerns. 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 is a Japanese politician. He is the current leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), and has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2000. From 2011 to 2012, he was the Prime Minister of Japan. Noda entered po ...

of the

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan The is a Liberalism, liberal List of political parties in Japan, political party in Japan. It is the primary centre-left politics, centre-left party in Japan, and as of 2024 is the second largest party in the National Diet behind the ruling L ...

, who secured only 160 votes, following a second round runoff vote. Hours before the Diet assembled, Ishiba's first cabinet resigned, thus resulting in him making an effort to launch a second cabinet. However, it was agreed that his cabinet would mostly remain the same. Ishiba's re-election would also mark the first time in 30 years that any Japanese prime minister needed a runoff vote.

Domestic policy

During the opening ceremony of the 217th ordinary session of the Diet, Ishiba's government submitted a draft budget for the new fiscal year 2025 with the general account at over 115 trillion yen, the largest ever. The unprecedentedly large budget was attributed to social security expenses related to the aging population and the strengthening of defense capabilities that began under the previous Kishida administration. On 24 January he delivered a policy speech, proclaiming his ideal for a "fun Japan" where everyone "feels safe and secure, and people with diverse values respect each other and strive for self-realization." He also said he would prioritize regional revitalization, addressing the

gender pay gap The gender pay gap or gender wage gap is the average difference between the remuneration for men and women who are Employment, employed. Women are generally found to be paid less than men. There are two distinct measurements of the pay gap: non ...

, and digitalization among other issues. In February 2025, Ishiba worked with the opposition

Japan Innovation Party The is a conservative and centre-right to right-wing populist political party in Japan. Formed as Initiatives from Osaka in October 2015 from a split in the old Japan Innovation Party, the party became the third-biggest opposition party in ...

to pass the 2025 fiscal year budget. The budget included provisions that called free high school education & social insurance premium fee cuts. The agreement was signed by the LDP,

Komeito , formerly New Komeito (NKP) and commonly referred to as simply Komei, is a political party in Japan founded by the leader of Soka Gakkai, Daisaku Ikeda, in 1964. It is generally considered centrist and socially conservative. Since 2012, i ...

, and Ishin on 26 February.

Social issues

Ishiba's government announced in January 2025 that same-sex partners will be subject to the same regulations as common-law marriages in 24 laws, including one that stipulates benefits to be paid to the families of crime victims. Consideration for legislation allowing separate surnames for married couples also began in the LDP under Ishiba's presidency. Ishiba's former rival, Sanae Takaichi, urged him to approach the topic with "caution" during internal party deliberations. He has remained hesitant about introducing same-sex marriage legislation.

Foreign policy

Ishiba was elected as Prime Minister during the closing months of Joe Biden's presidency in the United States, meeting with him at the APEC summit in Peru in November 2024, alongside South Korean President

Yoon Suk Yeol Yoon Suk Yeol (; born 18 December 1960) is a South Korean politician and former prosecutor who served as the 13th president of South Korea from 2022 until Impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, he was removed from office in 2025. The shortest-serving ...

. Later in January 2025 he held a virtual meeting with Biden and Philippine President Ferdniand Marcos Jr. during which the three agreed to strengthen ties and cooperation. After Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, Ishiba congratulated him publicly, stating he would like to meet with him soon in his capacity as President-elect. Unlike his late former rival

, Ishiba was not able to meet with Trump during his transition period. After Trump's inauguration, he sent him a congratulatory letter, in which he emphasized the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific. By February a meeting was set up between the two; Ishiba stated that he would explain to Trump Japan's high investment in the United States and its contributions to US job creation, mirroring a strategy implemented by Abe to negotiate with Trump when he was Prime Minister. Ishiba sought the advice of Abe's widow, Akie Abe, along with former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before the meeting. He said he would seek to form a “personal relationship” with Trump. Nevertheless, Ishiba and Trump were referred to as an “odd couple” by ''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief is Rich L ...

'' and ''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...

''.

United States

Ishiba with Trump in the Oval Office February 2025 2

Ishiba arrived in

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

on 6 February, along with translator Sunao Takao, who had previously assisted Shinzo Abe communicate with Trump during his tenure as Prime Minister. Takao was described as an “important asset” to Ishiba, given he is "probably one of the few Japanese people that Trump remembers." Ishiba met with Trump the following day at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

, where the two held a meeting followed by a press conference. During the meeting, Ishiba praised Trump, describing him as “very sincere.” He also referenced that attempted assassination of Trump that occurred in July 2024, and drew similarities between their domestic regional revitalization policies. When speaking to the press, Trump confirmed that

Nippon Steel (previously known as Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal until 2019) is Japan's largest steelmaker, headquartered in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company has four business segments, which are steelmaking, engineering, chemicals, and systems solu ...

would invest in

US Steel The United States Steel Corporation is an American steel company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It maintains production facilities at several additional locations in the U.S. and Central Europe. The company produces and sells steel products, ...

rather than own it. He also expressed his desire to “eliminate” the United States’ $68 billion

trade deficit Balance of trade is the difference between the monetary value of a nation's exports and imports of goods over a certain time period. Sometimes, trade in services is also included in the balance of trade but the official IMF definition only consi ...

with Japan, believing there would not be “any problems” in the relationship between the two countries. Despite this, Trump did not rule out the possibility of levying tariffs on Japan, but said it was unlikely. During the press conference, Ishiba announced that Japan would be raising its investment in the United States to $1 billion, and that

Toyota Motors is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, producing ...

and Isuzu Motors were planning to build new factories in the United States. On security, Trump said the US would continue to provide Japan with military security assistance, and praised its efforts to increase defense spending. The two also agreed to cooperate on deterring China's economic power and reducing the threat of North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Trump and Ishiba agreed to pursue a "new golden age" for U.S.-Japan relations. Trump later announced 24% reciprocal tariffs on all Japanese goods on 2 April 2025. Ishiba said that the traffis were "difficult to understand" given Japan's economic investment in the United States and it's status as of America's largest trading partners.

China, South Korea, and response to tariffs

In November 2024, Ishiba urged American President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

to approve Nippon-US Steel deal, which he ultimately blocked. Following the decision, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Takeshi Iwaya is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party. He is a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet, or national legislature, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He served as the Minister of Defense from 2 October 2018 to 11 ...

visited China in December; the meeting was seen as signs of improving of ties. Later in January the LDP-led Japan-China Parliamentary Friendship Association made a trip to China. The meeting was the first of the Japan-China Ruling Party Exchange Council since October 2018. In January 2025, Ishiba's government announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be easing visa requirements for Chinese tourists. The plan sparked criticism from within the LDP. Ishiba's diplomatic stance regarding China was notably criticized by

Kōichi Hagiuda is a Japanese people, Japanese politician who served as the Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), Liberal Democratic Party from August 2022 to December 2023. He previously served as Minister of Economy, ...

, who demanded more thorough explanations for the recent shifts in policy. A day before Donald Trump's "

Liberation Day Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day, but differing from it because it does not involve the original creation of statehood. It commemorates the end of an occupation ...

tariffs A tariff or import tax is a duty imposed by a national government, customs territory, or supranational union on imports of goods and is paid by the importer. Exceptionally, an export tax may be levied on exports of goods or raw materials and is ...

were announced, the governments of China and South Korea in coordination with Japan, agreed to jointly respond to the expected tariffs, with the three countries agreeing to strengthen free trade. After Yoon Suk Yeol removed from office as President of South Korea on 4 April 2025, Ishiba stated that "Regardless of administration, cooperation between Japan and South Korea is crucial not only for our security, but also for our country's independence and peace, and for peace and stability in the region." In response to tariffs announced by the second Trump administration in the United States, Ishiba established a council of relevant ministers for a whole-of-government response. He referred to the tariff situation as “like a national crisis,” and called on the other political parties to cooperate in presenting a unified front. CDP leader

urged Ishiba to directly negotiate with Trump. In response, Ishiba claimed that "Trump is a man who does not like to be criticized" and that "I don't know who to talk to to get through to Trump," a remark that earned criticism from Ishin co-leader

Seiji Maehara is a Japanese politician who has been a member of the House of Representatives of Japan since 1993. He founded and led the political party, Free Education for All, before its merger into Nippon Ishin no Kai on 3 October 2024. Maehara was the ...

. Ishiba also faced criticism from the CDP for his response to the tariffs.

Finance Minister A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfoli ...

Katsunobu Kato said on 4 April that it was 'theoretically possible' to levy retaliatory tariffs, but only after "going through the nowiki/>World Trade Organization">World_Trade_Organization.html" ;"title="nowiki/>World Trade Organization">nowiki/>World Trade Organizationdispute settlement procedure as much as possible." That same day, Ishiba held talks with opposition parties over the tariffs.

Ukraine, Gaza, and other issues

In February 2025, Ishiba said that the government would consider offering medical care for sick and wounded residents of the Gaza strip, amidst Israel's war with Hamas that has been ongoing since October 2023. He also said that educational opportunities could also be offered to people from Gaza. Similar to his predecessor Fumio Kishida, Ishiba has maintained support for

during the Russian invasion of Ukraine">Russian invasion that began in 2022. In February 2025, Defense Minister

Gen Nakatani is a Japanese politician who was Director General of the Japan Defense Agency (now Japan Ministry of Defense) in the first cabinet of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2001-2002 and was appointed the Minister of Defense by former Pri ...

revealed that the

would provide approximately 30 additional transport vehicles to the Ukrainian military. After a heated argument between Ukrainian President

Volodymyr Zelenskyy Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy (born 25 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and former entertainer who has served as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019. He took office five years after the start of the Russo-Ukraini ...

and Donald Trump and his Vice President

JD Vance James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman, August2, 1984) is an American politician, author, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran who is the 50th vice president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republic ...

during a meeting at the White House that was televised live on 28 February 2025, Ishiba stated that the meeting "took a somewhat unexpected turn and there appears to have been a very emotional exchange of words" and that Japan would "do all it can to prevent divisions between the United States and Ukraine."

, the leader of the

Constitutional Democratic Party The Constitutional Democratic Party (, K-D), also called Constitutional Democrats and formally the Party of People's Freedom (), was a political party in the Russian Empire that promoted Western constitutional monarchy—among other policies� ...

, accused Ishiba of not having a 'clear message' regarding the break between Trump and Zelenskyy and not 'doing enough' after divisions began to form between the US and Ukraine and Europe. At a press conference in Ōita, Noda stated that "Prime Minister Ishiba has not sent a clear message. Japan's stance is unclear." In March 2025, Japan adjusted its language on support for Ukraine from “strengthen” to "will maintain” support. The change was made to minimize the difference between Japanese & US policy. In February 2025, the Defense Ministries of Japan and the Philippines agreed to establish a high-level framework to help expand defense equipment and technology exports from Japan.

Controversy

On 13 March 2025, the ''

Asahi Shimbun is a Japanese daily newspaper founded in 1879. It is one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. The ''Asahi Shimbun'' is one of the five largest newspapers in Japan along with the ''Yom ...

'' newspaper revealed that several LDP members of parliament who were elected for the first time in the 2024 general election received gift certificates from the office of Ishiba in early March. Ishiba’s office later confirmed that he had distributed gift certificates worth approximately ¥100,000 ($676) each to about a dozen lawmakers as "souvenirs” intended to be used to purchase new

suit A suit, also called a lounge suit, business suit, dress suit, or formal suit, is a set of clothes comprising a suit jacket and trousers of identical textiles generally worn with a collared dress shirt, necktie, and dress shoes. A skirt su ...

s. Ishiba claimed the certificates were paid from his personal funds and were not intended for political activities but as a supplement for living expenses. According to the ''

Yomiuri Shimbun The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five major newspapers in Japan; the other four are ''The Asahi Shimbun'', the ''Chunichi Shimbun'', the ''Ma ...

'', most of the lawmakers decided to return the gift certificates instead of using them. The incident took place while discussions were underway in the Diet on the transparency of political funds, particularly regarding corporate and organizational donations. Ishiba had met with

Chief Representative

Tetsuo Saito is a Japanese politician who serves as chief representative of the Komeito since 2024. He served as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism from 2021 to 2024 and Minister of the Environment from 2008 to 2009. Born in Shimane Pref ...

the day before, who pledged his party's support for him; earlier in the week upper house LDP lawmaker Shoji Nishida publicly stated that Ishiba should be replaced by a new party President. Former LDP leadership rival Takayuki Kobayashi criticized Ishiba yesterday over the scandal, saying that it would be hard for the public to understand the position and that such an incident should not happen again. Ishiba, who was elected as LDP President on a reformist platform, was widely criticized by opposition lawmakers. CDP leader

promised to pursue inquiries over the incident in the Diet.

Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Nara ...

Governor and

co-leader Hirofumi Yoshimura criticized Ishiba’s actions. The Political Funds Control Act prohibits donations of cash or securities to individual politicians; the 100,000 yen in gift certificates in this case could have been considered a 'donation’ in this case. The incident came four months before the

2025 Japanese House of Councillors election The 27th general election of the House of Councillors is scheduled to be held in Japan by 20 July 2025 to elect 124 of the 248 members of the House of Councillors, the upper house of the National Diet, for a term of six years. The elections wil ...

scheduled for July.

Gaffes

Ishiba has been criticized for several

gaffe A political gaffe is a mistake or blunder in speech or action made by a politician that attracts media attention and public scrutiny. While often unintended, political gaffes can have significant consequences, as they may reveal the politician's p ...

s while in office. In October 2024, it emerged that government officials had edited an official photograph of Ishiba's cabinet to hide signs of Ishiba looking unkempt. In November 2024, he appeared to have slept during a session of the Diet. 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. In another incident, he was seen publicly eating

onigiri , also known as or , is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese rice ball made from white rice. It is usually formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes, and wrapped in ''nori'' (seaweed). Onigiri traditionally have sour or salty fillings such as ''um ...

whole and munching on it without closing his mouth.

Political positions

Ishiba has been described as a

centrist Centrism is the range of political ideologies that exist between left-wing politics and right-wing politics on the left–right political spectrum. It is associated with moderate politics, including people who strongly support moderate policie ...

, a moderate conservative, and a

reformist Reformism is a political tendency advocating the reform of an existing system or institution – often a political or religious establishment – as opposed to its abolition and replacement via revolution. Within the socialist movement, ref ...

, particularly during the 2024 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election. While he was cited as a member of the ultranationalist

far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...

organisation

Nippon Kaigi is Japan's largest ultraconservative and ultranationalist far-right non-governmental organisation and lobbying group. It was established in 1997 and has approximately 38,000 to 40,000 members as of 2020. The group has significant influence i ...

,"日本会議の全貌——知られざる巨大組織の実態" Yoshifumi Tawara、2016/06/17。"日本会議と神社本庁" ("Japan Conference and the Association of Shinto shrines") Muneo Narusawa 2016/06/28。 he has been criticized by nationalist commentators for his "traitorous acts", and for being "anti-Japan", and has pointed to Japan's failure to face its war responsibilities as underlying "many of its problems".

Social views

Ishiba has expressed support for introducing a selective dual surname system, which would allow married couples the option to retain their respective surnames. Ishiba has stated that this change should be subject to further discussion within the LDP to reach a consensus. In his book, ''Conservative Politician'' (2024) he has expressed his support for

same-sex marriage in Japan Japan does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions. Several Municipalities of Japan, municipalities and Prefectures of Japan, prefectures issue same-sex partnership certificates, which provide some benefits, but do not offer equal legal ...

: "From the perspective of guaranteeing fundamental human rights, as long as there are citizens whose rights are being obstructed, it is necessary to enact legislation as soon as possible, without having to wait for the Supreme Court's decision." However, after becoming prime minister, Ishiba stated he would take relevant court rulings into consideration since the country's constitution regulated marriages. On 17 December 2024, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made the following statement about same-sex marriage during a parliamentary session: “I have met concerned individuals, and I can see that being together is the most precious thing to them. While there is no ‘scale’ for measuring the national happiness, I believe that fulfilling these deepest wishes would have a positive and beneficial impact on the overall well-being of Japan". In a 2004 speech to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF), Ishiba, then Director General of the Japan Defense Agency, said that the SDF "has sometimes been made fun of as the '

autistic Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...

forces.' It's the autistic forces as in autistic children." The remark was apparently intended as a

pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...

, as the word he used for "autistic forces" (自閉隊, ''Jihei-tai'') sounds similar to the word for Self-Defence Forces (自衛隊; ''Jiei-tai''). The comment was meant to criticize the SDF for their poor communication, which resulted in a lack of public understanding about their activities. His comment was criticized as being inappropriate and showing a lack of awareness for autistic people. Ishiba later apologized for the comparison, saying "I had read an article that had such a reference, but (my remarks) were truly inappropriate", and added: "It is an undeniable fact that my remarks have hurt relevant parties, and I sincerely apologize. I will have to reflect (on my actions) and caution myself against repeating such an act."

Economic policy

As a representative for a rural district in

(with the smallest population among the forty-seven prefectures) and former "Minister in charge of Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy", Ishiba regularly emphasized the need to address socioeconomic inequality between Japan's urban centers and rural areas, the latter of which faces population decline, aging demographics, and economic stagnation. On election night, Ishiba called on the LDP to propose a supplementary budget for the 2024 fiscal year, aimed at financing a stimulus package to help rural areas cope with rising costs. Ishiba intends to maintain the economic policies under Kishida's premiership to steer Japan out of years of deflation. He has called for a more "fair" tax system and seeks to increase taxes such as the

capital gains tax A capital gains tax (CGT) is the tax on profits realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals, real estate, and property. In South Africa, capital g ...

. He believes the economy can only improve if consumption increases and stated his commitment to raising the

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...

to 1,500 yen per hour by the end of the decade.

Foreign policy

During the 2013 North Korean crisis, Ishiba stated that Japan had the right to deliver a preemptive strike against

. Ishiba is a vocal supporter of Taiwanese democracy. At the same time, he has called for stronger diplomacy and engagement with China, rather than antagonism. In his memoir written during the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

, Ishiba argued that equating the Russian invasion with a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan stems more from emotional reactions rather than a pragmatic evaluation of the Chinese threat. Ishiba has criticized Fumio Kishida's use of the phrase "Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow". In 2024, he stated that the reason the US did not defend Ukraine is that Ukraine is not part of a collective self-defense system like

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

. Ishiba argued that the war transformed the global security environment and with the absence of such a collective self-defense system in Asia, wars are more likely to break out in the region as there is no obligation for mutual defense. He therefore stated that an Asian collective security alliance is necessary in order to deter China.

"Asian NATO" and US-Japan alliance

In September 2024, Ishiba claimed that the "relative decline of U.S. might" necessitates an Asian version of

to counter security threats from China, Russia, and North Korea. With the US-Japan alliance at its core, Ishiba proposed strengthening alliance relationships with

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and

in order to form this "Asian NATO". He said that one of the policy's main goals is to protect Japan and that "the security environment surrounding us is the toughest since the end of World War II." This proposed security alliance was quickly dismissed by Daniel Kritenbrink, the United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Indian External Affairs Minister

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (born 9 January 1955), better known as S. Jaishankar, is an Indian politician and retired diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service, Indian foreign service (IFS) who has held the office of the Minister of External Affairs ...

also does not agree with Ishiba's idea for an Asian NATO as it does not fit with India's strategic goals. In response to Ishiba's comments regarding an Asian version of NATO,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China is the first-ranked executive department of the State Council of China, responsible for the country's foreign relations. It is led by the minister of foreign affairs, currently ...

spokesperson Lin Jian stated that "China hopes that Japan will learn from history, follow a path of peaceful development, abide by the principles and common understandings established in the four political documents between the two sides hina and Japan have an objective and right perception of China, take active and rational China policy, take concrete efforts to comprehensively advance the strategic relationship of mutual benefit, and work with China to promote the sustained, sound and steady development of China-Japan relations." ''

The Jakarta Post ''The Jakarta Post'' is a daily English-language newspaper in Indonesia. The paper is owned by PT Bina Media Tenggara and based in the nation's capital, Jakarta. ''The Jakarta Post'' started as a collaboration between four Indonesian media ...

'' criticized the idea, claiming that it is aimed at "unifying all available forces to band together against China, which would be considered very offensive for the 10-member ASEAN". During his first visit to Laos as prime minister, Ishiba did not mention anything related to the Asian NATO idea to reporters. On March 11, 2025, Slovenian Foreign Minister

Tanja Fajon Tanja Fajon (born 9 May 1971) is a Slovenian politician, former leader of Social Democrats, part of the Party of European Socialists and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Slovenia. She has been serving as the minister of fore ...

remarked during a visit to Manila that the Asian NATO idea is a way to go if it provides security in a peaceful manner and said "any initiative that promotes security, peace and solidarity among the countries in the region is a step in the right direction". While campaigning, Ishiba stated that Japan's alliance with the US, which he referred to as asymmetrical, should be re-balanced and called for greater Japanese oversight of American military bases in Japan. He said Japan should use the

Special Relationship The Special Relationship is an unofficial term for relations between the United Kingdom and the United States. Special Relationship also may refer to: * Special relationship (international relations), other exceptionally strong ties between nat ...

between the US, UK and France as a model for creating an alliance with the US as equal partners. To become an equal partner, he said Japan must have its own military strategy and a "security system that can protect its own nation by itself". He also suggested that

could be placed in

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

to strengthen the

deterrence Deterrence may refer to: * Deterrence theory, a theory of war, especially regarding nuclear weapons * Deterrence (penology), a theory of justice * Deterrence (psychology) Deterrence in relation to criminal offending is the idea or penology, t ...

capabilities of the Japan-US alliance. On his first call as prime minister with President

, Ishiba said that he wants to further strengthen the U.S.–Japan Alliance. However, he did not mention his desire to make changes to the bilateral forces agreement that would be required in order to make the alliance more symmetrical. He said that he would find the chance to raise the issue with Biden in the future.

Historical awareness and Yasukuni Shrine

Following his victory in the 2024 LDP presidential election, some South Korean media outlets have described Ishiba as a "

dove Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. ...

" in regards to his perception of Japan's accountability in World War II. For example, in 2019 when South Korea decided to terminate the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) during the Japan–South Korea trade dispute, Ishiba stated that root of many of the problems between Japan and South Korea is Japan's failure to face up to its wartime responsibility. However, in October 2024, Ishiba sent a ritual offering to

Yasukuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Empire of Japan, Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, First Sino-Japane ...

, which drew criticism from South Korea. Ishiba has criticised

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and its government during World War II, stating that "The government concluded that Japan was doomed to lose a war, yet entered it anyway. They should be held accountable for that", and similarly saying that "I cannot understand why their actions that led to the defeat of the country, without giving accurate answers to Emperor Shōwa's questions and without informing the public of the truth, are being left unquestioned as 'we are all heroes once we die.'" He said of the

Tokyo Trial The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), also known as the Tokyo Trial and the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, was a military trial convened on 29 April 1946 to try leaders of the Empire of Japan for their crimes against peace ...

s that, regardless of the issues in retroactively applying law, Japan is what it is because they "accepted the trials". He further stated that the Tokyo Trials did not condemn everything in pre-war Japan as wrong, and that those who argue the Trials were invalid due to the retroactively applying law argue that there were no mistakes in pre-war Japan at all. He argued there was both wrong and right in the pre-war era. Regarding the

Nanjing Massacre The Nanjing Massacre, or the Rape of Nanjing (formerly Chinese postal romanization, romanized as ''Nanking'') was the mass murder of Chinese civilians, noncombatants, and surrendered prisoners of war by the Imperial Japanese Army in Nanji ...

, Ishiba said: "At the very least, the way

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

were treated was incorrect, and military discipline was broken. We must also examine the civilian casualties which happened." He has refrained from using the word ''massacre'' to describe it. When it comes to

comfort women Comfort women were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term ''comfort women'' is a translation of the Japanese , a euphemism ...

, he has stated there was "coercion in the narrow sense", clarifying he meant forced abduction by the government and military. Regarding visits to

, which honors Japan's war dead, including convicted Japanese war criminals, by state officials and statements rejecting the Japanese war crimes during World War II, he has questioned if this is in national interest, citing incidents where countries such as

have become upset at the nation for rejecting responsibility for World War II and Japanese colonisation. Specifically as it comes to Yasukuni, he has argued there is no need for active politicians to visit the shrine, citing that it is the Emperor's responsibility to visit the dead. He has said that it is particularly inappropriate for a prime minister to visit the Yasukuni Shrine due to concerns from China and South Korea. He has criticized visits by politicians as not essential to creating an environment where laws can be passed. Ishiba has not visited the shrine since he gained his first cabinet post in 2002. He instead visits his local Gokoku Shrines every 15 August. He is also an advocate of separating Class A war criminals from the shrine. He has defended the

Murayama Statement The Murayama Statement (村山談話, ''Murayama Danwa'') was a political statement released by former Prime Minister of Japan Tomiichi Murayama on August 15, 1995, officially titled "On the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the War's End" (戦� ...

, commenting after Sanae Takaichi said she felt uncomfortable with the statement in 2013 that he would like the party to "refrain from making misleading statements".

Military affairs

Ishiba is known as a ''gunji otaku'' (military geek) and has a keen interest in military matters. He is known for having a lot of expertise related to weapons systems, legal issues about defense, and is also fond of building and painting models of aircraft and ships. Ishiba has repeatedly stated that he believes that Japan needs its own equivalent of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

to be able to defend its many small islands. In 2010 when he was policy chief for the LDP in opposition, and as secretary-general of the party in March 2013 after the LDP regained government.

Nuclear weapons

In 2011, Ishiba backed the idea of Japan maintaining the capability of building

nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear exp ...

s. He said: "I don't think Japan needs to possess nuclear weapons, but it's important to maintain our commercial reactors because it would allow us to produce a nuclear warhead in a short amount of time ... It's a tacit nuclear deterrent." In 2017, Ishiba reiterated: "Japan should have the technology to build a nuclear weapon if it wants to do so." In 2024, Ishiba said the region should consider introducing nuclear weapons if it wants an Asian version of NATO.

Personal life

Ishiba met his wife Yoshiko Nakamura when they were both students at

. They married in 1983 and have two daughters. Ishiba is a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, specifically a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

. He was baptised at the age of 18 in the Tottori Church of the United Church of Christ in Japan. In recent years he has attended the Evangelical CBMC's National Prayer Breakfast. He also visits the

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

graves of his ancestors and worships at a

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

shrine. Ishiba is known as an "

otaku is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, such as anime, manga, video games, computers or other highly enthusiastic hobbies. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in '' Manga Burikko''. ...

" with a very high interest in the military, vehicles, and trains, and keeps a large collection of military-related plastic models, some of which are displayed at his office in the Diet. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' described him as a "bookish idealist" in 2024. He is also a fan of the 1970s idol group Candies, is known to ride on sleeper trains to Tottori Prefecture as part of his interest in railways, and regards novelists Soseki Natsume and Ogai Mori as two of his favorite authors. Ishiba is also known as an avid reader, wherein he is noted to read three books daily, and stated that he "prefers reading more than mingle with his party collegues". He is also the head of an intraparty

ramen is a Chinese noodle dish popularized in Japan. It includes served in several flavors of broth. Common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen h ...

society that was established to promote the dish. Ishiba became the first prime minister to attend the

Tokyo Girls Collection The , sometimes abbreviated as TGC, is a semiannual fashion festival launched in 2005. It is mainly held near Tokyo area and some local cities such as Kitakyushu, Nagoya and Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa. The fashion event showcases the seasons fas ...

fashion show on 1 March 2025, seeking to promote a “cute, lively and cool” Japan, notably sporting a pair of jeans and sneakers. The event doubled as a promotion for the 2025 Osaka World Expo that is set to take place in April. Despite being members of opposing parties, Ishiba is personal friends with CDP Leader

, the leader of the opposition since 2024. He is also on good personal terms with Ishin co-leader

, bonding over their shared love and appreciation of trains and occasionally riding trains together. Ishiba made headlines when he allowed a

vehicle to be displayed at the Shizuoka Hobby Show, a trade fair for plastic and radio-controlled models. During the visit of former

United States Ambassador to Japan The is the Ambassadors of the United States, ambassador from the United States of America to Japan. History Beginning in 1854 with the Convention of Kanagawa, use of gunboat diplomacy by Commodore (United States), Commodore Matthew C. Perry, ...

Howard Baker Howard Henry Baker Jr. (November 15, 1925 June 26, 2014) was an American politician, diplomat and photographer who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1967 to 1985. During his tenure, he rose to the rank of Senate Minority Le ...

in 2002, Ishiba presented a plastic model of the

Lockheed P-3 Orion The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop Anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. It is based on the Lockheed ...

in their meeting at his office. When the Russian Defence Minister visited Japan, Ishiba was said to have stayed up all night assembling a plastic model of the aircraft carrier '' Admiral Kuznetsov''. Ishiba is also known to be a heavy smoker.

Affiliated organizations and parliamentary associations

Parliamentary League (far-right lobby group) * Shinseiren Diet Members' Conference ( :jp:神道政治連盟国会議員懇談会) * Cross-Party Parliamentary League for Considering Human Rights Diplomacy ( :jp:人権外交を超党派で考える議員連盟)

Bibliography

Notes

References

External links