Shigeru Ishiba (born February 4, 1957, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese politician who served as leader of the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) and prime minister of Japan (2024–25). Early in his career he held key ministerial roles, initially focusing on agriculture and later becoming known for his work on defense and security, including his advocacy of a NATO-style Asian military alliance. He also worked on countryside revitalization, addressing rural issues and Japan’s declining population. Ishiba announced his intention to resign as prime minister and as leader of the LDP on September 7, 2025, after the party lost its majority in both houses of Japan’s parliament, the Diet, in elections held in October 2024 and July 2025.
Political career
After Jiro Ishiba’s death in 1981, Kakuei Tanaka, a close associate of the elder Ishiba, encouraged Shigeru Ishiba to enter politics. In 1986 Ishiba was elected to the lower house of the Diet (parliament). Tanaka, who served as prime minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974, is considered Ishiba’s primary political mentor. He is remembered as the “commoner’s prime minister” for his advocacy on behalf of ordinary Japanese citizens and for normalizing diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China through the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communiqué with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai.
From 1992 to 2009 Ishiba held various ministerial positions in agriculture and defense, steadily rising in seniority. He left the LDP in 1993 but rejoined in 1997. In 2009 he became chair of the LDP’s policy research council, a prominent position within the party. In 2012 he ran for LDP president—a role that is typically a precursor to becoming prime minister—but was defeated by Shinzo Abe. Abe then appointed Ishiba as LDP secretary-general, a position he held until 2014. That year Ishiba became minister for regional revitalization and national strategic zones.
After 2012 Ishiba developed a reputation as an opponent of the Abe administration. In 2015, despite his previous opposition to LDP factionalism, he formed his own faction, Suigetsukai, which failed to gain significant influence and was downgraded to an informal group in 2021. His public criticism of the LDP leadership, his temporary departure from the party in the 1990s, and his relatively progressive views—including support for women’s empowerment, same-sex marriage, and recognition of Japan’s imperialist past—contributed to the growing perception of him as a maverick. The Japan Times has described Ishiba as “the LDP’s consummate outsider, a dissident who has spent his career refusing to acquiesce to orthodoxy.”
Ishiba left the cabinet in 2016, though he continued to serve in the Diet. He ran for president of the LDP in 2018 and in 2020 after Abe’s resignation. He lost both times and endorsed Taro Kono in the 2021 election.
Trusted knowledge for those who want to know more.
Ishiba as prime minister Election and the challenge of ruling
In August 2024 Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that he would not seek reelection as LDP president. His decision followed declining approval ratings and scandals that damaged the party’s public perception. This set the stage for a shift in governance, leading to an election with three main contenders: Ishiba, Sanae Takaichi, and Shinjiro Koizumi. Ishiba was a political outsider, Takaichi was an ultraconservative who could have been the LDP’s first female president, and Koizumi (the son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi) was known for his youth and progressive views. Thus, all three represented new directions for the party.
Ishiba defeated Takaichi in a second-round runoff on September 27, 2024. Following Ishiba’s victory, the Japanese stock market dropped amid concerns about Ishiba’s support of increasing interest rates and taxes on the wealthy. Ishiba began forming his cabinet and announced a snap election for October 27 to secure a public mandate and solidify his leadership. As prime minister, Ishiba faced complex challenges, including Japan’s population decline and public disillusionment with the government. On the international stage, he was tasked with managing heightened tensions in Asia, due largely to China’s assertive posturing and a nuclear-armed North Korea.
2024 snap election and minority government
The October 27 snap election for the lower house of the Diet resulted in an unexpected setback for Ishiba, as the LDP won only 191 out of 465 seats, losing its majority for the first time since 2009. This result underscored the public’s continued lack of trust in the LDP, the same issue that had led to Kishida’s resignation. Speculation quickly arose that Ishiba might step down. However, he announced his intention to remain as prime minister and was narrowly reelected by parliament on November 11 in a runoff vote—the first of its kind in Japan in more than 30 years. Ishiba assumed leadership of a minority government and pledged to work collaboratively with opposition parties. Following the election, his cabinet remained largely unchanged, with only three new appointments made to address specific circumstances.
Quick Facts
Born:
February 4, 1957, Tokyo, Japan (age 69)
(Show more)
2025 election and resignation
In 2025 Ishiba’s government continued to struggle with low public confidence and division within the LDP. In the July upper house election, the party and its coalition partner, Kōmeitō, again lost their majority, leading Ishiba to announce on September 7 that he would resign.