[Japanese Perspective] Anti-war Peace Advocates Calling for Defense Enhancement, Kishida's Dilemma

Moderate from Hiroshima... Emphasizes G7 Peace Message
Advocates Tax Increase for Defense Enhancement... Lowest Approval Rating Ever

Editor's NoteJapan, a country both near and far. Many have heard the name but wonder who these figures really are. An international correspondent covering Japanese news introduces notable Japanese figures who made headlines over the past week, along with the stories connected to them.

[Asia Economy, Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Recently, the epithets surrounding Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio have become quite serious. Terms like 'lowest approval rating ever' and 'calls for replacement' have been attached to him. Amidst the rising negative public opinion both domestically and internationally, Prime Minister Kishida boarded a plane for an overseas tour as the host country leader of the Group of Seven (G7).

The reason he left for abroad instead of calming internal public opinion is closely linked to his political background. We will introduce his story, which has been overshadowed by his recently plummeting approval ratings, and try to unravel the related issues.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. [Image source=Fumio Kishida Facebook]

Political Elite... Nicknamed the ‘Boring Man’

Prime Minister Kishida was born in 1957 and is a political 'silver spoon' from a family that has served three generations as Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) members of the House of Representatives since his grandfather’s time. After graduating from Waseda University’s Faculty of Law in 1982, he joined a bank, then served as a secretary to his father, who was a member of the House of Representatives, before stepping into politics. It is a common hereditary path among prominent LDP politicians, including former Prime Minister Abe Shinz?, to briefly experience social life before fully entering politics. The only notable difference for Kishida, the 'political silver spoon,' is that while his entire family graduated from the University of Tokyo, he alone attended Waseda.

Kishida has a strong image as a diligent and serious model student. He emphasizes his 'listening skills,' and when he ran for LDP presidency, he highlighted that he had taken notes in over 30 notebooks from listening to others.

While his listening skills are strong, his speaking skills seem weaker. His calm tone and lack of strong assertions reportedly cause most audiences to doze off during his speeches. This earned him the nickname 'Boring Man.'

His motto is 'Chunpoojeopin,' meaning treating people with kindness like a spring breeze. Because he prioritizes mediation over self-promotion, he is sometimes criticized for lacking firmness and being indecisive. However, historically within the LDP, a relatively mild and moderate leader tends to follow a radical and distinctive one, so some analysts believe that moderate Kishida gained strength and was elected as a result.

But one should not judge a person by appearances alone. In fact, Kishida is known as the LDP’s top drinker. He even acted as a 'black knight' for former Prime Minister Abe, who was not good at drinking, by drinking on his behalf. In a past media interview, he revealed, "Until my 40s, I drank until I blacked out once or twice a year. When I blacked out, I would call the people I drank with to ask how long we stayed together." Additionally, a famous anecdote from his time as Foreign Minister involves a vodka drinking contest with the Russian Foreign Minister.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida drinking at a Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki restaurant in Tokyo. (Photo by Fumio Kishida Instagram)

Moderate from Hiroshima... Seeking Breakthrough through Diplomacy?

Let’s look a bit more into his background and connect it to current issues. Prime Minister Kishida is from Hiroshima. Since Hiroshima was the site of the atomic bombing by the United States, it is a place with strong anti-nuclear and anti-nuclear power sentiments. Kishida is no exception. He has a strong attachment to his hometown; just as Busan is associated with Lotte, he is a fan of Hiroshima’s baseball team, the Toyo Carp, and always cites Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki as his favorite food.

The G7 summit is also being held in Hiroshima this time, reflecting his desire to send a message of anti-war and peace during a time when the world is facing conflicts such as the war in Ukraine. Kishida plans to invite the seven heads of state to the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Museum and is pushing a plan to invite U.S. President Joe Biden to Nagasaki, another atomic bomb site.

He seems to be skillfully incorporating his background into diplomacy. Kishida’s strength lies in his diplomatic skills. He leads the 'K?chikai' faction within the LDP, which advocates for 'light armament' without rushing to strengthen defense capabilities and places significant emphasis on diplomacy with South Korea, China, and Japan. In fact, former Prime Minister ?hira Masayoshi, who normalized diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea and between China and Japan, was also from the K?chikai faction.

Moreover, Kishida served as Foreign Minister for 4 years and 8 months under the Abe Cabinet. He also participated as Foreign Minister in the 2015 Japan-South Korea comfort women agreement. For these reasons, the breakthrough for Kishida, whose approval ratings have fallen, lies more in foreign affairs than domestic affairs. Analysts suggest that his overseas tour before hosting the G7 is an attempt to showcase his diplomatic strengths and seek a rebound in approval ratings.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wearing the uniform of the Hiroshima baseball team, Toyo Carp. (Photo by Fumio Kishida Instagram)

In fact, the reasons for Kishida’s falling approval ratings are complex. First, the controversy over the connection between the LDP and the Unification Church arose after former Prime Minister Abe was shot and killed by Yamagami Tetsuya, who held a grudge against the Unification Church. Kishida responded to the controversy by removing ministers suspected of ties to the Unification Church.

Second, it concerns defense capability enhancement. He emphasized that tax increases are inevitable to secure funds for strengthening defense, which sparked strong public backlash. It feels contradictory that a pacifist is pushing for defense enhancement and continuously emphasizing the Japan-U.S. alliance, given his background.

The reason for his policy shift lies with former Prime Minister Abe. Abe was the leader of the largest LDP faction, and even after his death, conservative hardliners remain dominant. They maintain a stance that there can be no apology or reflection regarding Japan-South Korea relations.

Because Kishida is not assertive, he has no room to ignore this and push forward. Also, with elections scheduled for the first half of this year amid his plummeting approval ratings, he must be mindful of the LDP’s internal dynamics.

Can the ‘Boring Man’ overcome the drop in approval ratings and lead an ‘interesting’ turnaround? With issues like the comfort women agreement resurfacing in Japan-South Korea relations, we will have to watch whether Kishida can step out of someone’s shadow and pursue his own politics.