Ministerial offices

Minister in charge of Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy
In office 3 September 2014 – 3 August 2016
Prime Minister	Shinzo Abe
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Kozo Yamamoto
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
In office 24 September 2008 – 16 September 2009
Prime Minister	Tarō Asō
Preceded by	Seiichi Ota Nobutaka Machimura (acting)
Succeeded by	Hirotaka Akamatsu
Minister of Defense
In office 26 September 2007 – 2 August 2008
Prime Minister	Yasuo Fukuda
Preceded by	Masahiko Kōmura
Succeeded by	Yoshimasa Hayashi
Director-General of the Japan Defense Agency
In office 30 September 2002 – 27 September 2004
Prime Minister	Junichiro Koizumi
Preceded by	Gen Nakatani
Succeeded by	Yoshinori Ohno
Deputy Director-General of the Japan Defense Agency
In office 6 January 2001 – 26 April 2001
Prime Minister	Yoshirō Mori
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Kyogon Hagiyama
Parliamentary Secretary for Defense
In office 6 December 2000 – 6 January 2001
Prime Minister	Yoshirō Mori
Preceded by	Seiji Nakamura Masataka Suzuki
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
In office 4 July 2000 – 5 December 2000 Serving with Issui Miura
Prime Minister	Yoshirō Mori
Preceded by	Yoshio Yatsu Katsutoshi Kaneda
Succeeded by	Toshikatsu Matsuoka Naoki Tanaka
In office 26 December 1992 – 21 June 1993 Serving with Ryōtarō Sudo
Prime Minister	Kiichi Miyazawa
Preceded by	Koji Futada Takao Jinnouchi
Succeeded by	Takehiko Endo

Party political offices

Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party
In office 26 September 2012 – 3 September 2014
President	Shinzo Abe
Preceded by	Nobuteru Ishihara
Succeeded by	Sadakazu Tanigaki
Chairperson of the Policy Research Council
In office 29 September 2009 – 30 September 2011
President	Sadakazu Tanigaki
Preceded by	Kosuke Hori
Succeeded by	Toshimitsu Motegi

Member of the House of Representatives

Incumbent

Assumed office
8 July 1986

Preceded by

Multi-member district

Constituency

Tottori at-large (1986–1996)
Tottori 1st (1996–present)

Majority

85,456 (68.2%)

Personal details

Born

4 February 1957 (age 68)
Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan

Political party

Liberal Democratic (1986–1993; 1997–present)

Other political
affiliations

Renewal (1993–1994)
New Frontier (1994–1996)
Independent (1996–1997)

Spouse

Yoshiko Nakamura

(m. 1983)

Children

Parent

Jirō Ishiba (father)

Education

Keio University (LLB)

Signature

Japanese name

Kanji

石破茂

Revised Hepburn

Ishiba Shigeru

Shigeru Ishiba is a Japanese politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Japan and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from October 2024 to October 2025. He has been a member of the House of Representatives for the Tottori 1st district since 1996. Before becoming Prime Minister, he held important roles like Minister of Defense and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. He also served as the secretary-general of the LDP.

Who is Shigeru Ishiba?
Images for kids
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Who is Shigeru Ishiba?

Shigeru Ishiba was born on 4 February 1957. He comes from a family involved in politics in Japan. He studied at Keio University and worked at a bank before starting his political career. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1986 when he was 29 years old.

Early Life and Education

Ishiba was born in Chiyoda, Tokyo. His family moved to Tottori Prefecture when he was young. This was because his father, Jirō Ishiba, became the Governor of Tottori. His mother was a teacher. Shigeru Ishiba grew up and went to school in Tottori. He later moved to Tokyo to attend Keio Senior High School. He then studied law at Keio University. After graduating in 1979, he worked at a bank. His father passed away in 1981. A friend of his father, former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, encouraged Shigeru Ishiba to become a politician. This was to continue his family's public service.

Starting a Political Career

Ishiba left his banking job in 1983. He began working with a political group. In the 1986 Japanese general election, he was elected to the House of Representatives. He joined as a member of the LDP. He was the youngest member at that time. As a politician, Ishiba became very knowledgeable about farming policies and defense. He served as a junior minister for agriculture. In 1993, he left the LDP for a short time. He joined other parties, but he returned to the LDP in 1997.

Important Roles in Government

After rejoining the LDP, Ishiba held several key positions. He was the Director-General of the Defense Agency from 2002 to 2004. This agency later became the Ministry of Defense. In this role, he helped Japan send troops to Iraq for reconstruction efforts. He later served as Minister of Defense from 2007 to 2008. Then he became Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 2008 to 2009. These roles showed his expertise in important areas for Japan.

Becoming Leader of His Party

Shigeru Ishiba tried several times to become the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. He ran in 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2020. Even though he did not win these elections, he remained an important figure in the party. He also served as the secretary-general of the LDP from 2012 to 2014. This is a very powerful position. In September 2024, the then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he would step down. This was due to issues with party funding and other controversies. Ishiba ran for party leader again. On 27 September 2024, he won the election. He became the new leader of the LDP and the next Prime Minister of Japan.

Serving as Prime Minister

On 1 October 2024, Shigeru Ishiba was officially elected as the Prime Minister of Japan by the National Diet. He was appointed by Emperor Naruhito. He quickly announced a general election for 27 October 2024. In this election, the LDP and its partner party lost their majority in the House of Representatives. This meant Ishiba's government became a minority government. It needed support from other parties to pass laws. He was re-elected as Prime Minister by the Diet on 11 November 2024, leading a new cabinet.

Key Decisions and Policies

As Prime Minister, Ishiba focused on several important issues. He called Japan's low birth rate a "quiet emergency." He also addressed the security situation in the region. He aimed to help Japan's economy grow and end deflation. His government proposed a large budget for 2025. This budget focused on social security for the aging population and strengthening defense. He also worked with other parties to pass the budget. It included plans for free high school education and cuts in social insurance fees. On social issues, his government announced that same-sex partners would have similar rights to common-law marriages in many laws. Discussions also began within the LDP about allowing married couples to keep their separate surnames.

Working with Other Countries

Prime Minister Ishiba met with many world leaders. He met with US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in November 2024. After Donald Trump won the 2024 United States presidential election, Ishiba congratulated him. He sought to build a good relationship. Ishiba visited Washington D.C. in February 2025. He met with President Trump. They discussed trade and security. Japan also increased its investment in the United States. On security, the US continued to support Japan's defense. Ishiba's government continued to support Ukraine during the conflict that began in 2022. Japan provided transport vehicles to the Ukrainian military. He also discussed offering medical care and educational opportunities for people from the Gaza strip. He also worked to strengthen defense ties with countries like the Philippines.

Stepping Down as Prime Minister

In July 2025, the LDP-Komeito coalition lost its majority in another election for the House of Councillors. This led to calls for Ishiba to resign. On 7 September 2025, Ishiba announced his decision to resign as the leader of his party and as Prime Minister. He was succeeded by Sanae Takaichi as Prime Minister on 21 October 2025.

What Shigeru Ishiba Believes

Shigeru Ishiba is often described as a centrist or moderate conservative politician. He is known for sometimes criticizing his own party. He also has more open views on social topics.

Views on Society

Ishiba supports the idea of married couples being able to choose to keep their own surnames. He believes this change needs more discussion within his party. He has also expressed support for same-sex marriage in Japan. He stated that it is important to protect fundamental human rights and fulfill people's deepest wishes. However, he also considers the country's constitution and court rulings on marriage. In the past, he made a comment about the Japan Self-Defense Forces that was seen as inappropriate. It was insensitive to people with autism. He later apologized sincerely for his remarks, saying they were wrong and had caused hurt.

Economic Ideas

Ishiba has often talked about the need to help rural areas in Japan. These areas face challenges like a decreasing and aging population. He believes in reducing the economic differences between big cities and smaller towns. He aims to continue policies that help Japan's economy grow. He wants a fairer tax system. He also supports increasing the minimum wage to help workers.

Foreign Relations and Defense

Ishiba has a strong interest in military matters and defense. He believes Japan needs to be able to defend its many small islands. He has discussed Japan's ability to create nuclear weapons for defense, but not necessarily owning them. He believes this capability acts as a deterrent. He has also called for stronger diplomacy with China and supports Taiwanese democracy. He has suggested that an "Asian NATO" might be needed to counter security threats in the region. This would involve working with countries like the US, Australia, and South Korea. However, this idea has received mixed reactions from other countries. Ishiba believes that Japan's alliance with the United States is very important. He thinks it should be strengthened, aiming for a more equal partnership. Regarding visits to Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war dead, he has questioned if such visits by politicians are in the national interest. This is especially due to concerns from China and South Korea. He has not visited the shrine since 2002. He instead visits his local shrines. He also supports separating certain war criminals from the shrine.

Fun Facts About Shigeru Ishiba

Shigeru Ishiba is known for his many hobbies and interests! He is often called an "otaku" because he has a very strong interest in military vehicles, trains, and building plastic models of aircraft and ships. He even displays some of his models in his office.
He is also a big fan of the 1970s Japanese idol group Candies.
He enjoys riding sleeper trains.
He loves reading and is known to read three books every day. His favorite authors are Soseki Natsume and Ogai Mori.
Ishiba is also the head of a ramen society within his political party. This group promotes the popular Japanese dish.
In March 2025, he became the first Prime Minister to attend the Tokyo Girls Collection fashion show. There, he promoted a "cute, lively and cool" Japan and the 2025 Osaka World Expo.
Despite being in different political parties, Ishiba is good friends with Yoshihiko Noda. Noda is the leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party. He is also friends with Seiji Maehara, a co-leader of the Ishin party. They even bond over their shared love for trains!
In October 2025, Ishiba was recognized with the "Japan Eyewear Best Dresser Award" for his signature glasses. This made him the first sitting prime minister in 29 years to receive this honor.

Images for kids

Ishiba, third row, second from left, with the other members of the Yasuo Fukuda Cabinet, 26 September 2007
Ishiba and US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Tokyo on 15 November 2003
Ishiba with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and Yoshihide Suga in September 2014
Ishiba is elected as Prime Minister by the Diet, 1 October 2024.
Ishiba with Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura in January 2025
Ishiba meets with US President Donald Trump at the Oval Office of the White House during Ishiba's visit to Washington D.C., 7 February 2025
Ishiba with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in November 2024
Ishiba with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the APEC Peru 2024 on 15 November 2024
Ishiba with Philippine President Bongbong Marcos at the Malacañang Palace]] during the former's official visit in Manila, 29 April 2025
Ishiba and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the 2024 G20 Rio de Janeiro summit
Ishiba announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister on 7 September 2025
Ishiba departs from the Prime Minister's Office as prime minister for the last time
Ishiba and US Defense Secretary Robert Gates in November 2007
Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo
Ishiba poses with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in front of the Tohoku Shinkansen in Tokyo Station, August 2025. Known as one of the most avid train enthusiasts in Japanese politics, Ishiba sees trains not just as a means of transportation, but as something with emotional appeal and a sense of escape from the ordinary. He also views trains as a key to regional revitalization.