Ministerial offices

Minister for Foreign Affairs
Acting 4 November 2021 – 10 November 2021
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Toshimitsu Motegi
Succeeded by	Yoshimasa Hayashi
In office 26 December 2012 – 3 August 2017
Prime Minister	Shinzo Abe
Preceded by	Kōichirō Genba
Succeeded by	Tarō Kōno
Minister of Defense
Acting 28 July 2017 – 3 August 2017
Prime Minister	Shinzo Abe
Preceded by	Tomomi Inada
Succeeded by	Itsunori Onodera
Minister of State for Consumers
In office 18 June 2008 – 1 August 2008
Prime Minister	Yasuo Fukuda
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Seiko Noda
Minister of State for Space
In office 6 February 2008 – 1 August 2008
Prime Minister	Yasuo Fukuda
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Seiko Noda
Minister of State for Okinawa and the Northern Territories
In office 27 August 2007 – 1 August 2008
Prime Minister	Shinzo Abe Yasuo Fukuda
Preceded by	Sanae Takaichi
Succeeded by	Motoo Hayashi
Minister of State for Regulatory Reform
In office 27 August 2007 – 1 August 2008
Prime Minister	Shinzo Abe Yasuo Fukuda
Preceded by	Yoshimi Watanabe
Succeeded by	Kaoru Yosano
Minister of State for Science, Technology and Quality of Life
In office 27 August 2007 – 1 August 2008
Prime Minister	Shinzo Abe Yasuo Fukuda
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Seiko Noda

Member of the House of Representatives
for Hiroshima's 1st district

Incumbent

Assumed office
20 October 1996

Preceded by

Constituency established

Majority

117,800 (71.1%)

In office
18 July 1993 – 27 September 1996

Constituency

Former 1st district
(Elect Four)

Personal details

Born

29 July 1957 (age 67)
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

Political party

Liberal Democratic

Spouse

Yuko Wada

(m. 1988)

Children

Education

Kaisei Academy

Alma mater

Waseda University (LLB)

Signature

Japanese name

Kanji

岸田文雄

Revised Hepburn

Kishida Fumio

Fumio Kishida (born 29 July 1957) is a Japanese politician. He served as the 64th prime minister of Japan and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2021 to 2024. He is a member of Japan's House of Representatives. Before becoming prime minister, he was the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2017. He also briefly served as acting Minister of Defense in 2017.

On 14 August 2024, Kishida announced he would step down as LDP party leader. This meant he would not seek re-election in September. Shigeru Ishiba replaced him.

Early Life and Education
Political Journey
Becoming Prime Minister (2021–2024)
Political Views
- Nuclear Policy
Personal Life
Honours
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Fumio Kishida was born in Shibuya, Tokyo, on 29 July 1957. He comes from a family with a history in politics. His father, Fumitake Kishida, worked for the government. The Kishida family was from Hiroshima, and they visited there every summer. Many family members had died in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Fumio grew up hearing stories from survivors. Both his father and grandfather were members of the House of Representatives.

Kishida attended elementary school in New York City because his father had a job in the U.S. at that time. He also went to Kōjimachi Elementary School and Kōjimachi Junior High School in Japan. He graduated from Kaisei Academy, where he played baseball.

After being turned down by the University of Tokyo several times, Kishida studied law at Waseda University. He graduated in 1982.

Political Journey

After working at a bank, Kishida started his political career. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1993 as a member of the LDP. From 2007 to 2008, he served as the Minister of Okinawa Affairs. He also held roles as state minister for consumer affairs, food safety, and science and technology.

Kishida with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2014.

Kishida with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in March 2017.

In October 2012, Kishida took control of the Kōchikai faction, an old group within the LDP. He became the Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2012. He held this position for five years, making him the longest-serving Foreign Affairs Minister in Japan's history. In 2017, he left this role to lead the LDP's Policy Research Council.

Becoming Prime Minister (2021–2024)

In September 2021, the previous prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, announced he would resign. This led to a new election for the leader of the LDP. Fumio Kishida and Taro Kono were the main candidates.

Kishida being elected by the National Diet on 4 October 2021.

On 29 September 2021, Kishida won the election to become the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. He received 257 votes. This meant he would become Japan's next prime minister.

Key Domestic Policies

As prime minister, Kishida focused on several important issues within Japan.

Defense Spending: In December 2022, Kishida asked his government to increase spending on national security. The goal was to raise the military budget from about $40 billion in 2022 to $66 billion by 2027. This would increase total defense spending by 65% over five years.

Child Care Support: Kishida made child care a top priority in 2023. He stressed the importance of addressing Japan's declining birth rates. His administration planned to increase financial benefits for parents. He announced a goal to double the budget for child-related programs by June 2023.

COVID-19 Measures: On 13 March 2023, Kishida's government ended the request for citizens to wear face masks in public. This policy had been in place for three years to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. In April, the government announced that COVID-19 would be classified like a "seasonal flu" starting 8 May.

Economy and Wages: Kishida appointed Kazuo Ueda as the new Governor of the Bank of Japan in April 2023. Ueda planned to continue easy money policies. Kishida also stated his goal to raise the hourly minimum wage in Japan to about ¥1,500 ($10.29) by 2030.

Fukushima Water Release

Kishida inspecting the Fukushima nuclear plant on 20 August 2023.

In April 2021, the government before Kishida's announced a plan to release treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. This process was expected to take 30 years. Kishida's government confirmed they would continue with this plan in August 2023.

Before the release, Kishida's government worked with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA confirmed the safety of the operation. They stated that the levels of tritium (a radioactive substance) in the water were much lower than safety standards. The dumping began on 24 August 2023, with no reported problems.

Reactions to the Release: The decision received mixed reactions. Some groups in Japan, like fisheries, were against the plan. China strongly opposed the dumping and banned all Japanese fish products. China was criticized for this ban, as it had released nuclear waste water with higher tritium levels in the past.

International Support: The United States supported Japan's decision. The American ambassador even visited Fukushima and ate seafood to show it was safe. In South Korea, there were protests, but the South Korean government did not oppose the plan. President Yoon also ate Fukushima seafood to show it was safe.

Safety Checks: The Environment Ministry conducted many tests on the water and fish. They confirmed that tritium levels remained low. Kishida promised to support local fisheries financially. On 30 August, Kishida and three ministers publicly ate fish sashimi from Fukushima. He called it "safe and delicious" to ease public fears.

Foreign Relations

Kishida at the 2022 Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting with leaders from Australia, the US, and India.

Kishida meeting President Jokowi in Tokyo in July 2022.

Kishida meeting with South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol in 2023.

Kishida with Kenyan President William Ruto on 2 May 2023.

Kishida worked to strengthen Japan's relationships with other countries. He visited nations like India and Australia, which are part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad). He also visited countries in Europe, Canada, and the United States. Japan hosted the 49th G7 summit in May 2023.

Kishida with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se in February 2017.

Kishida attended NATO summits in Spain (2022) and Lithuania (2023). He supported Bangladesh's efforts to help Rohingya refugees return to Myanmar.

Resignation from Leadership

On 14 August 2024, Fumio Kishida announced he would not seek another term as president of the LDP. This decision effectively ended his time as prime minister. He stated that he wanted the party to have an "open contest" to show that the LDP was changing.

Political Views

Kishida giving a speech in October 2017.

Nuclear Policy

Kishida supports using nuclear power technology. He believes it should be seen as a clean energy option. He also called for a large university fund to boost science and renewable energy.

As a representative from Hiroshima, Kishida has always promoted nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. He believes Japan should work to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. He rejected the idea of Japan hosting U.S. nuclear weapons. He said this would go against Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles, which state that Japan will not possess, produce, or allow nuclear weapons on its territory.

Personal Life

In 1988, Fumio Kishida married Yuko Kishida in an arranged marriage. Yuko is the daughter of a real estate investor. They have three sons.

Kishida is a fan of the manga series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. He has promised to support the Japanese animation industry. He also enjoys watching the Hiroshima Toyo Carp baseball team.

In May 2023, Kishida dismissed his eldest son, Shotaro Kishida, from his role as policy secretary. This was due to misuse of government resources.

Honours

Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (29 October 2014)
Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (31 March 2017)

Images for kids

Fumio Kishida's signature.

Fumio Kishida facts for kids

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