(CNN) – Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba will be sworn in as Japan’s new prime minister this Friday, after a runoff in his party’s leadership contest.
Ishiba, 67, takes control of the long-ruling, corruption-plagued Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and will take control of the world’s fourth-largest economy when parliament convenes in October, thanks to his party’s majority in the lower house.
She was one of nine candidates and defeated Economic Security Minister Sane Takaichi – who is aspiring to become Japan’s first female president – in the second round with 215 votes in favor and 194 against. Shinjiro Koizumi, the charismatic, American-educated son of popular former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, was the third favorite not to compete in the final.
It is Ishiba’s fifth attempt to lead the party, the conservative political machine that has ruled Japan almost continuously since its founding in 1955.
In a political culture that values conformity, Ishiba has long been willing to criticize and go against his own party. That willingness to speak out earned him powerful enemies within the PLD, but also the sympathy of its most popular members and the public.
It is located in the most progressive wing of the Conservative Party. His political acumen and experience in domestic and foreign policy could have led him to higher office.
Ishiba said that after the vote, now the LDP can be reborn and regain the people’s trust.
“I will trust people, I will tell the truth with courage and honesty, and I will do everything I can to make this country a safe place where everyone can live again with a smile.”
The senior politician pledged a “complete exit” from Japan’s high inflation rates and “real wage growth”. He also supports legislation allowing married women to keep their maiden names, called for Japan to reduce its reliance on nuclear power in favor of renewables and an Asian version of the NATO defense bloc to counter threats from China and North Korea.
Ishiba will succeed outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who announced his resignation in August after a series of political scandals sparked calls for his resignation.
In recent months, the LDP has been embroiled in one of Japan’s biggest political scandals in decades. Two of the most influential factions of the LDP were accused of failing to properly report their income and expenses and, in some cases, diverting political funds to legislators in the form of kickbacks.
Scandals surrounding several senior officials have not helped, with some accused of election law violations or past derogatory comments against minorities.
Kishida tried to do damage control last year by replacing several cabinet ministers and taming his own party faction.
As the leader of the ruling party, Ishiba will be tasked with improving the LDP’s image ahead of next year’s general elections.
He will preside at a time when living costs are rising with a weak yen.
With the U.S. presidential election in November, Ishiba must manage Japan’s relations with China and a belligerent North Korea amid rising security challenges in Asia and a new U.S. president.
Partnership with Japan has long been central to US strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, and his predecessor Kishida this year expanded Japan’s defense cooperation with its key ally.
Ishiba has been adamant about deterrence as a security issue, and echoed his predecessor’s words during a recent trip to Taiwan, saying that “what happens in Ukraine today is what Northeast Asia will face tomorrow.”
Japanese resident Emi Uchibori, 67, told CNN from Tokyo that she supports Ishiba, saying, “We need a leader who can firmly lead Japan into the future.”
“Japan is an aging society, and I hope social welfare will be improved. In terms of diplomacy, I want Japan to deal with issues with China, Russia and North Korea,” he said.
Meanwhile, 22-year-old Manami Otsuchi said she wants to see reforms that “do not burden the younger generation and lead to Japan’s economic growth.”
CNN’s Genta Takeda and Hanako Montgomery contributed reporting.
