Shigeru Ishiba

Shigeru Ishiba, born on 4 February 1957 in Chiyoda, Tokyo, is a Japanese politician affiliated with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He has served as a member of the House of Representatives representing Tottori 1st district since 1996. His political career includes holding prominent positions such as Minister of Defense from 2007 to 2008, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 2008 to 2009, and Secretary-General of the LDP from 2012 to 2014.

Born into the Ishiba political family in Tokyo, Ishiba’s father, Jirō Ishiba, was a government official who served as Vice Minister of Construction, Governor of Tottori Prefecture, and later as a member of the House of Councillors and Minister for Home Affairs. His mother was a teacher and granddaughter of Christian minister Kanamori Michitomo. The family relocated to Tottori when Jirō Ishiba was elected governor in 1958, and Shigeru grew up there. He graduated from Tottori University Junior High School, attended Keio Senior High School, and then studied law at Keio University in Tokyo, graduating in 1979.

After university, Ishiba worked at Mitsui Bank. His father passed away in 1981, and the family’s friend Kakuei Tanaka, former Prime Minister, encouraged Ishiba to pursue a political career. In 1983, Ishiba left banking to work in the secretariat of the Thursday Club, Kakuei Tanaka’s faction within the LDP. He was elected to the House of Representatives in the 1986 general election at the age of 29, representing Tottori as the youngest member at that time.

Initially focusing on agricultural policy, Ishiba’s interests expanded to defense issues following the Gulf War in 1990 and a 1992 visit to North Korea. He served as parliamentary vice minister of agriculture under Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa. In 1993, he left the LDP to join the Japan Renewal Party, later transitioning through the New Frontier Party after its formation, but in 1996, he rejoined the LDP.

Within the LDP, Ishiba held various roles, including deputy director general of the Defense Agency in December 2000, and Director-General of the Defense Agency in September 2002. During his tenure, he defended the legality of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and facilitated Japan’s first overseas deployment of Self-Defense Forces without UN mandate, to Iraq in 2004.

He was appointed Minister of Defense under Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda from September 2007 until August 2008, and later served as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries under Prime Minister Tarō Asō. In 2008, Ishiba ran for the LDP leadership but placed fifth. He was elected secretary-general of the party in September 2012 during Abe’s second term as Prime Minister.

Ishiba unsuccessfully ran for LDP leadership multiple times, including in 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2020. In the 2024 LDP leadership election, he defeated Sanae Takaichi in a runoff to become party leader. He was sworn in as Prime Minister on 1 October 2024. His tenure included calling a snap general election, which resulted in the LDP coalition losing its majority in the House of Representatives for the first time since 2009. As Prime Minister, Ishiba relied on opposition parties to pass legislation and aimed to strengthen Japan’s economic ties with India and South Korea. He supported Ukraine during the Russian invasion of 2022.

Following the 2025 House of Councillors election, the LDP-Komeito coalition lost its majority. Ishiba faced internal calls for resignation. He initially planned to remain in office until trade negotiations with the United States concluded but later announced his intention to resign as party leader and Prime Minister in September 2025. Takaichi succeeded him as Prime Minister in October 2025.

Throughout his political career, Ishiba has been identified as a maverick, known for criticizing factionalism within the LDP and holding comparatively liberal views on social issues. His leadership was characterized by a cautious approach to reform and some reversal of earlier positions during his tenure as Prime Minister.