Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba Wins Presidency

The president of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party was announced after two rounds of voting today. Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba was elected as the next president. Economic and Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, who was considered to have a high chance of winning before the election, was defeated and failed to become the first female president of the Liberal Democratic Party and the first female prime minister of Japan.

Takaichi Accepts Defeat, Cites Lack of Personal Ability

As the “orthodox heir” of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi accepted interviews with the media after the election. Regarding the reason for her defeat, she replied calmly: “It was my lack of personal ability.” “I did not receive enough support in terms of congressional votes. This is entirely my own responsibility.”

Takaichi’s Expectations for Ishiba and Future Plans

Talking about her expectations for Shigeru Ishiba, she said: “This must be decided by the elected president. I am the loser, and it is redundant to express any opinions. The president will propose the direction and submit it to the Liberal Democratic Party Political Consultative Committee for in-depth discussion. I will truly mobilize everyone’s wisdom to strive for the best interests of the country and the people. I will give my full support as a member of Congress.”

Analysis of Takaichi’s Defeat and Ishiba’s Victory

Former Foreign Minister Tanaka Makiko analyzed the reasons for Takaichi Sanae’s defeat. She said that although her image as a representative in the election is an issue, considering that Gao Shi may have more extreme speeches and actions when fighting against the opposition parties, some people may be worried.

As for Shigeru Ishiba who often does not respond directly to questions, Tanaka said: “Although Ishiba may cleverly avoid some questions, his performance during the election was good and he was relatively acceptable in foreign relations. As everyone knows, Takaichi’s image was too bright, so the councilman chose Ishiba who was more balanced.”

Ishiba’s Popularity and the Liberal Democratic Party’s Future

However, Ishiba still has high popularity in general opinion polls. He usually explains his arguments in a rational and coherent manner, which makes him popular among the public.

Within the Liberal Democratic Party members, while emphasizing the need for “freshness”, some people disagreed and believed that this was “just to divert attention from the issue of political donations.”

Takaichi’s Conservative Right Philosophy and Diplomatic Concerns

Sanae Takaichi’s “conservative right” political philosophy is considered “too right-leaning.” Among the nine candidates, only she made it clear that she would also visit the Yasukuni Shrine after becoming prime minister. This strong right-wing overtone raises concerns that it will have a negative impact on diplomacy.

Some people believe that Japan-South Korea relations gradually improved during the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida; if the high market leads to deterioration of Japan-South Korea relations, it may undermine the cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea, making it impossible to effectively deal with unstable factors such as Russia, China and North Korea.