Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba successfully won the role of Prime Minister of Japan on his fifth attempt, winning a competitive race among nine candidates vying to succeed Fumio Kishida.
Shigeru Ishiba will be sworn in as the 102nd Prime Minister of Japan by the Diet on October 1, the same day Fumio Kishida will officially step down from the position.
Shigeru Ishiba, 67, prevailed over hardline nationalist Sanae Takachi in a run-off vote, one of Japan’s most unpredictable leadership elections in decades, with a record nine candidates in the running.
As the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has dominated Japan’s post-war political landscape, Ishiba is assured of becoming the next Prime Minister due to the party’s majority in parliament.