Shigeru Ishiba
![]() | This article needs to be updated.(October 2021) |
Shigeru Ishiba | |
---|---|
石破 茂 | |
![]() Ishiba in 2015 | |
Minister for Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy | |
In office 3 September 2014 – 3 August 2016 | |
Prime Minister | Shinzo Abe |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Kozo Yamamoto |
Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party | |
In office 26 September 2012 – 3 September 2014 | |
President | Shinzo Abe |
Preceded by | Kosuke Hori |
Succeeded by | Sadakazu Tanigaki |
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | |
In office 24 September 2008 – 16 September 2009 | |
Prime Minister | Tarō Asō |
Preceded by | 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 |
| |
Assumed office 20 October 1996 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
In office 8 July 1986 – 27 September 1996 | |
Constituency | Tottori's at-large district |
Personal details | |
Born | Yazu, Tottori, Japan | 4 February 1957
Political party | Liberal Democratic Party (1986–1993, 1997–present) |
Other political affiliations | Japan Renewal (1993–1994) Group of Reform (1994) Liberal Reform Union (1994) New Frontier (1994–1996) Independent (1996–1997) |
Spouse | Yoshiko Ishiba |
Alma mater | Keio University |
Signature | ![]() |
Shigeru Ishiba (石破 茂, Ishiba Shigeru, born 4 February 1957) is a Japanese politician. Ishiba is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and is the leader of the Suigetsukai party faction, and a member of the Heisei Kenkyūkai faction, which was then led by Fukushiro Nukaga, until 2011.[1]
Ishiba served as Director General of the Japan Defense Agency under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi from 2002 to 2004. He was Minister of Defense under Yasuo Fukuda from 2007 to 2008 and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries under Tarō Asō from 2008 to 2009. The LDP lost government in 2009, entering Opposition.
In 2012, he sought to challenge Opposition Leader Sadakazu Tanigaki for the presidency of the LDP, but was defeated by former Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. He accepted the position of Secretary-General of the LDP on 27 September 2012. From 3 September 2014[2] to 3 August 2016, he served in cabinet as minister overseeing regional economic revitalization and policies aimed at reversing population decline.
Early life
[edit]Ishiba is a native of Yazu District, Tottori. His father Jirō Ishiba was a politician and government official who served as Minister for Home Affairs, Vice-Minister of Construction, Governor of Tottori Prefecture, and a member of the House of Councillors;[3] his mother was an educator. After his father became the Governor of Tottori Prefecture in 1958, the family moved from Tokyo to Tottori; Ishiba has no memory of living in Tokyo.[4] After graduating from Tottori University Junior High School, he studied at Keio Senior High School.[5]
Ishiba studied law at Keio University, graduating in 1979. He entered Mitsui Bank the same year after graduation. He left the bank after his father's sudden death in 1983.[3]
Political career
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Yasuo_Fukuda_Cabinet_20070926.jpg/220px-Yasuo_Fukuda_Cabinet_20070926.jpg)
In 1983, Ishiba began his political career by working at the secretariat of the Thursday Club, one of the factions in the Liberal Democratic Party. In 1985, at the age of 28, he was elected to the House of Representatives as the youngest member in Japanese history.[3]
Ishiba was appointed as the Minister of Defense to the cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on 26 September 2007,[1] serving in that post until 1 August 2008. Ishiba was the second person in the cabinet of Fukuda to express belief in the existence of UFOs after Nobutaka Machimura.[6] To that end he appeared on a Japanese TV program which featured dubbed extracts from the National Geographic Channel's Alien Invasion series in June 2012.
Following Fukuda's resignation, Ishiba stood as a candidate for the LDP presidency. In the leadership election, held on 22 September 2008, Tarō Asō won with 351 of the 527 votes; Ishiba placed fifth and last with 25 votes.[7] In Aso's Cabinet, appointed on 24 September 2008, Ishiba was named as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.[8]
In 2012, while the LDP was still in opposition, Ishiba again stood for the presidency of the LDP and was narrowly defeated by Shinzō Abe. He accepted the position of secretary general on 27 September 2012. [9] Abe re-appointed him to the position after the December 2012 election in which the LDP returned to government.[10]
He attracted considerable criticism for his statement in November 2013 that likened peaceful public protests against the new secrecy bill being introduced by his government to "acts of counterterrorism".[11] He later withdrew the comment. [12]
In the September 2014 cabinet reshuffle, Abe moved Ishiba from his position as LDP Secretary General and appointed him to a newly created office of Minister for Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy. He was reported to have declined the offer of a cabinet post responsible for the government's upcoming security legislation.[2]
In spite of having been a vocal critic of factionalism in the LDP, Ishiba launched his own faction, the Suigetsukai, on 28 September 2015, with the aim of succeeding sitting prime minister, Shinzo Abe. However, with 19 members, excluding Ishiba, it was one member short of the 20 votes required for nomination for LDP leadership.[13]
In 2020, following Shinzo Abe's resignation, Ishiba ran for the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party, losing to Yoshihide Suga, placing third overall.[14] Ishiba declined to run in the 2021 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, instead endorsing Taro Kono.[15]
Ishiba is affiliated to the ultranationalist and far-right organization, Nippon Kaigi.[16]
Interest in military issues
[edit]Ishiba is known as a "gunji otaku" (military geeks) and has a keen interest in military matters. He is known for having a lot of expertise related to weapons systems, legal issues about defense and is also fond of building and painting models of aircraft and ships.[17]
Ishiba has repeatedly stated that he believes that Japan needs its own equivalent of the USMC to be able to defend its many small islands, in 2010 when he was policy chief for the LDP in opposition,[18] and as secretary-general of the party in March 2013 after the LDP regained government.[19]
In 2011, Ishiba backed the idea of Japan maintaining the capability of building nuclear weapons:
I don't think Japan needs to possess nuclear weapons, but it's important to maintain our commercial reactors because it would allow us to produce a nuclear warhead in a short amount of time ... It's a tacit nuclear deterrent.[20]
During the 2013 North Korean crisis, Ishiba stated that Japan had the right to deliver a preemptive strike against North Korea.[21]
In 2017, Ishiba reiterated that Japan should have the capability to build nuclear weapons, stating that "Japan should have the technology to build a nuclear weapon if it wants to do so".[22]
Personal life
[edit]Ishiba is a Protestant Christian. He was baptised at the age of 18 in the Tottori Church of the United Church of Christ in Japan. In recent years he has attended the Evangelical CBMC's National Prayer Breakfast. He also visits the Buddhist graves of his ancestors and worships at the shinto shrine.
Ishiba is known as a "otaku" for military, vehicles, trains and Japanese idol. He made headlines when he allowed a Japan Self-Defence Forces' vehicle to be displayed at the Shizuoka Hobby Show, a trade fair for plastic and radio-controlled models. When the Russian Defence Minister visited Japan, he stayed up all night assembling a plastic model of the "Admiral Kuznetsov".
Electoral record
[edit]{{Election box begin | title=2021 Japanese general election: Tottori 1st
|- class="vcard"
| style="color:inherit;background-color:#3CA324" |
| class="org" style="width:130px" | Liberal Democratic
(Komeito)
| class="fn" | Shigeru Ishiba
| style="text-align:right;" | 106,425
| style="text-align:right;" | 83.6
| style="text-align:right;" | −0.9
|-
|- class="vcard"
| style="background-color: #DB001C; width: 5px;" | | class="org" style="width: 130px" | Communist | class="fn" | Naruyuki Tsukada | style="text-align: right; margin-right: 0.5em" | 20,829 | style="text-align: right; margin-right: 0.5em" | 16.4 | style="text-align: right; margin-right: 0.5em" | +4.5 |-
|}
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democratic (Komeito) |
Shigeru Ishiba | 106,425 | 83.6 | −0.9 | |
Communist | Naruyuki Tsukada | 20,829 | 16.4 | +4.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democratic (Komeito) |
Shigeru Ishiba | 124,746 | 84.5 | ||
Communist | Naruyuki Tsukada | 17,550 | 11.9 | ||
Independent | Hiroshi Inoue | 5,325 | 3.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democratic (Komeito) |
Shigeru Ishiba | 118,121 | |||
Democratic (People's New) |
Yasuaki Okuda | 63,383 | |||
Communist | Naoyuki Iwanaga | 7,336 | |||
Happiness Realization | Yukihiro Hosokawa | 1,757 | |||
Turnout | 192,919 | 74.66 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democratic | Shigeru Ishiba | 106,805 | |||
Democratic | Shūsaku Hayakawa | 48,092 | |||
Social Democratic | Kiyoichi Tanaka | 14,271 | |||
Communist | Naruyuki Tsukada | 11,105 | |||
Turnout | 185,302 | 70.89 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democratic | Shigeru Ishiba | 114,283 | |||
Social Democratic | Kiyoichi Tanaka | 31,236 | |||
Communist | Iwao Suizu | 14,092 | |||
Turnout | 167,300 | 64.23 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democratic | Shigeru Ishiba | 91,163 | |||
Independent | Kōtarō Tamura | 62,811 | |||
Social Democratic | Fumiko Chikuma | 22,425 | |||
Communist | Naoyuki Iwanaga | 9,406 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Shigeru Ishiba | 94,147 | 56.59% | – | |
Social Democratic | Fumiko Chikuma | 28,496 | 17.13% | – | |
Communist | Naoyuki Iwanaga | 14,845 | 8.92% | – | |
New Socialist | Atushi Yamada | 13,221 | 7.94% | – | |
Turnout | 166,371 | 65.78% | – | ||
Registered electors | 252,920 | – | |||
Independent win (new seat) |
Gallery
[edit]-
Ishiba and United States Donald Rumsfeld, 15 November 2003.
-
Ishiba and United States Robert Gates, 8 November 2007.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Fukuda Cabinet launched / Changes minimized to reduce impact on Diet business". Yomiuri Shimbun'. 26 September 2007. Archived from the original on 2 March 2008.
- ^ a b "Abe keeps core intact in Cabinet shake-up". The Japan Times. 3 September 2014. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ a b c "農林水産総括政務次官. 石破 茂 プロフィール". Prime Minister's Office of Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ Tokugawa, Iehiro (24 April 2014). "政権与党のNo.2に聞く「自民党幹事長の本音」--石破茂氏(自民党幹事長)×徳川家広氏(政治経済評論家)". Keizaikai. Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ Saika, Nobuyuki (9 September 2020). "【自民党総裁選】菅氏、岸田氏、石破氏3人のキリスト教との関わり - クリプレ". Christian Press (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Japan's defense minister braces for aliens". inquirer.net. 20 December 2007. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010.
- ^ "Aso elected LDP head"". Yomiuri Shimbun. 22 September 2008. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008.
- ^ "Aso elected premier / Announces Cabinet lineup himself; poll likely on Nov. 2". Yomiuri Shimbun. 25 September 2008. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008.
- ^ "Ishiba to be LDP's new secretary general". The Japan Times. 28 September 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012.
- ^ "Japan's Abe Appoints Ex-Rival as His No. 2". The Wall Street Journal. 28 September 2012. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016.
- ^ "Ishiba to be LDP's new secretary general". The Japan Times. 1 December 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Ishiba softens criticism of bill protesters". The Japan Times. 2 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
- ^ "Senior LDP member Ishiba forms faction, aiming to succeed Abe". Nikkei Asian Review. 28 September 2015. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015.
- ^ "Yoshihide Suga wins landslide in Japanese leadership contest". Financial Times. 14 September 2020. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ "LDP's Shigeru Ishiba formally throws support behind PM contender Taro Kono". The Japan Times. 15 September 2021. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ "Abe's reshuffle promotes right-wingers". Korea Joongang Daily. 5 September 2014. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ "'Military geek' Ishiba returns to friendly territory". The Japan Times. 27 September 2007. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ "Japan needs own marines: LDP's Ishiba". The Japan Times. 25 May 2010. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ "Ishiba urges creation of 'goddamn' Japanese marine corps". The Japan Times. 26 March 2013. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ Chester Dawson (28 October 2011). "In Japan, Provocative Case for Staying Nuclear". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 25 October 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Japan Claims Right to Preemptive Strike on N.Korea". The Chosun Ilbo. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013.
- ^ "Japan should be able to build nuclear weapons: ex-LDP Secretary-General Ishiba". The Japan Times. 6 November 2017. ISSN 0447-5763. Archived from the original on 6 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ "鳥取県" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ 総選挙2012>開票結果 小選挙区 鳥取. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 May 2013.
- ^ 衆議院>第45回衆議院議員選挙>鳥取県>鳥取1区. ザ・選挙 (in Japanese). JANJAN. Archived from the original on 11 July 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ^ 衆議院>第44回衆議院議員選挙>鳥取県>鳥取1区. ザ・選挙 (in Japanese). JANJAN. Archived from the original on 28 April 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ^ 衆議院>第43回衆議院議員選挙>鳥取県>鳥取1区. ザ・選挙 (in Japanese). JANJAN. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ^ 衆議院>第42回衆議院議員選挙>鳥取県>鳥取1区. ザ・選挙 (in Japanese). JANJAN. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ^ 衆議院>第41回衆議院議員選挙>鳥取県>鳥取1区. ザ・選挙 (in Japanese). JANJAN. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
External links
[edit]- 石破茂 Official Site (in Japanese)
- 石破茂-アゴラ
- 石破茂(いしばしげる)ブログ
- Shigeru Ishiba on X
- 石破 茂 on Facebook
- Shigeru Ishiba on Instagram
- イシバチャンネル's channel on YouTube
- 1957 births
- Living people
- Politicians from Tottori Prefecture
- Defense ministers of Japan
- Ministers of agriculture, forestry and fisheries of Japan
- Members of the House of Representatives (Japan)
- Members of the United Church of Christ in Japan
- Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians
- Members of Nippon Kaigi
- Keio University alumni
- 21st-century Japanese politicians
- Keio Senior High School alumni