Former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to become Japan’s next Prime minister after winning the race to lead Japan’s ruling party this Friday.
Ishiba defeated the economic security minister Sanae Takaichi in a runoff election, after the two won the most votes in the first round of elections among nine candidates.
Ishiba will succeed outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who announced in August that he would not be running for another term, effectively ending his three-year term.
Ishiba is now expected to be approved as prime minister in a vote by parliament on Oct. 1 2024, since his party has a majority in both chambers of the legislature.
