Fumio Kishida to Replace Yoshihide Suga As Japan PM

Fumino Kishida becomes Japan’s 100th prime minister. Fumino Kishida is all set to replace Yoshihide Suga after winning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership vote. Kishida replaces Yoshida Suga, who is stepping down after serving one year as Primeminister.

Kishida beat former foreign minister Taro Kono, who is popularly described as a political maverick, after moving ahead of two female candidates Sanae Takaichi and Seiko Noda, in the first round. Fumino Kishida, 64, was born to a Hiroshima-based family with political history. Kishida studied at the School of Law and later joined the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan. After the special parliamentary session on October 4, Kishida will be confirmed as the 100th Prime minister.

Kishida first entered politics in 1993 following his father Fumitake Kishida’s footsteps and grandfather Masaki Kishida. Both his father and grandfather were members of the House of Representatives, and his family also has links to former Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa. Kishida was political chief of the LDP and later foreign minister between 2012-2017. He also helped bring former US President Barack Obama to Hiroshima on a historic visit in May 2016.

During his acceptance speech, Yoshida pledges to implement new measures to fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. He also added that he would lead a transformed LDP in the upcoming general elections.

“The LDP leadership election is over. Let us all face the lower house and upper house elections as one. Our national crisis continues. We need to keep working hard on the coronavirus response with strong determination, and we need to compile tens of trillions of yen of the stimulus package by the end of the year,” Kishida said.