Jirō Ishiba

Jirō Ishiba (石破 二朗, Ishiba Jirō) was born on July 29, 1908, in Japan. His father, Ichizo Ishiba, was a farmer who became the village chief in the year of Jirō’s birth. Ishiba pursued higher education at the Faculty of Law at Tokyo Imperial University, where he studied English law and graduated in 1932.

Following his graduation, Ishiba commenced his career as a bureaucrat at the Home Ministry. He later transferred to the Metropolitan Police Department before returning to the Home Ministry in 1938. During World War II, he was posted to Singapore, which was occupied by Japan at the time.

After the conclusion of the war, Ishiba resumed his career at the Ministry of Construction, a department that had been separated from the Home Ministry. He advanced to the position of Vice Minister of Construction in 1955, a role considered the highest attainable within a ministry for a bureaucrat.

In 1958, Ishiba transitioned from civil service to elected politics by successfully running for the governorship of Tottori Prefecture. He served as governor for 16 years, resigning in 1974 to become a member of the House of Councillors, Japan's upper legislative chamber.

In July 1980, Ishiba was appointed Minister for Home Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Zenkō Suzuki. He served in this capacity until December 1980, when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which compelled him to step down from his ministerial position.

Jirō Ishiba passed away on September 16, 1981. His funeral in Tokyo was organized by former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka. Before his death, Ishiba instructed his son, Shigeru Ishiba, to run for political office, a move subsequent to which Shigeru served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2024 to 2025.

His son, Shigeru Ishiba, held the position of Prime Minister of Japan for a term from 2024 to 2025.