Fumio Kishida

Fumio Kishida was born on July 29, 1957, in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. His father, Fumitake Kishida, was a government official in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and served as the director of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency. The Kishida family originated from Hiroshima, and they returned there annually. Several members of his family, including his father and grandfather Masaki Kishida, served as members of the House of Representatives, with his grandfather being a former politician. Yoichi Miyazawa, a former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, is his cousin, and Kiichi Miyazawa, a former Prime Minister of Japan, is a distant relative.

During his childhood, Kishida spent part of his early years in the United States, attending elementary school at P.S. 020 John Bowne in Flushing, Queens, and P.S. 013 Clement C. Moore in Elmhurst, Queens, due to his father's posting in the U.S. at that time. He also attended Kōjimachi Elementary School and Kōjimachi Junior High School in Japan. He graduated from Kaisei Academy, where he participated in the baseball team. After facing multiple rejections from the University of Tokyo, Kishida enrolled at Waseda University, where he studied law and graduated in 1982. At Waseda, he was friends with future politician Takeshi Iwaya.

Kishida initially pursued a career in finance, working at the now-defunct Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan. Subsequently, he became a secretary to his father, Fumitake Kishida, a member of the House of Representatives, in 1987. He was first elected to Japan’s House of Representatives in the 1993 general election, representing the Hiroshima 1st district as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Throughout his political career, Kishida has held several significant positions. He served as Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in the first Koizumi Cabinet in 2001. In the administrations of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Yasuo Fukuda, he was appointed Minister of State for Special Missions, handling matters related to Okinawa, northern measures, national life, science and technology policy, and regulatory reform. From 2007 to 2008, he served as Minister of Okinawa Affairs, and in 2008, he was appointed State Minister in charge of consumer affairs and food safety, as well as science and technology.

In October 2012, Kishida succeeded Makoto Koga as leader of the Kōchikai faction within the LDP, a position he held until 2023. He was appointed Foreign Minister on December 26, 2012, in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet, a role he held until 2017. During his tenure as foreign minister, he was recognized as the longest-serving in Japanese history and played a significant role in facilitating U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima in 2016. He also appeared alongside comedian Piko Taro in 2017 to promote a United Nations program.

Kishida left the cabinet in 2017 to lead the LDP’s Policy Research Council, a step often viewed as a pathway to party leadership. On July 28, 2017, he temporarily served as Minister of Defense following the resignation of Tomomi Inada. He contemplated running in the 2018 LDP presidential election but was persuaded by Prime Minister Abe not to run, with indications that Abe would support him as a successor later on.

In the 2020 LDP presidential election, Kishida was a candidate but was defeated by Yoshihide Suga, who then became Prime Minister. Following Suga’s appointment, Kishida did not receive a cabinet position. He eventually challenged Suga for the party leadership and won the election in 2021. He was formally confirmed as Prime Minister by the National Diet on October 4, 2021.

Kishida’s premiership saw a focus on economic and foreign policy initiatives, including a "new model of capitalism," economic reforms aimed at wage increases, and enhancing Japan’s defense capabilities. His government facilitated the release of treated radioactive water from Fukushima in August 2023, and he undertook multiple cabinet reshuffles to address various political issues, including the disbandment of factions and responding to a slush fund scandal.

His foreign policy emphasized strengthening alliances such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), increasing defense budgets, and participating actively in sanctions and aid related to conflicts such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In April 2023, he survived an assassination attempt while on campaign duty. His tenure concluded with challenges related to low approval ratings stemming from party scandals. On August 14, 2024, Kishida announced his resignation from the office and the leadership of the LDP, with Shigeru Ishiba succeeding him after the party leadership election.