Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s statements on everything from nuclear power to monetary policy are by turns contradictory and vague, says Gearoid Reidy for Bloomberg Opinion.
Shigeru Ishiba , the newly elected leader of Japan 's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party holds a press conference after the LDP leadership election, in Tokyo, Japan Sep 27, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool/File PhotoAll of the candidates to replace Fumio Kishida were flawed.
In researching them over the past weeks, I’ve been struck by how his policies that seek to reposition Japan vis-a-vis the Untied States and China, combined with an economic proposal little more than the concept of a plan, form a vision as unambitious as his leadership race slogan: “Protecting Japan’s Future”.There is a lot to like about Ishiba the man. He is scandal-free, an honest character who prides himself on pressing flesh, knocking on doors and listening to voters.
And he’s known as the biggest tetsu-ota, or train nerd in Tokyo’s corridor of power, something that will endear him to fellow enthusiast, US ambassador Rahm Emanuel.But if Ishiba follows through on some of his stated policies, that might be where the endearment ends.
His economic policy is similarly slippery. He talks of boosting the lot of the less fortunate, and revitalising regions outside Tokyo. His political inspiration, the former prime minister Kakuei Tanaka, had similar promises - but also a plan to do so through great infrastructure projects such as the Shinkansen bullet train network.If Ishiba has similar dreams, he’s not telling anyone.
Shigeru Ishiba Liberal Democratic Party
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