"Prime Minister Ishiba Only Meets Close Associates... Rarely Dines with Political and Business Figures"

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been reported by Mainichi Shimbun on the 30th to expand his network not broadly but through exchanges centered on a small group of close aides since taking office.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is entering a hotel in Lima, Peru, on the 16th (local time) for the Korea-Japan summit. Photo by Yonhap News

Mainichi analyzed that, excluding the Chief Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary whom Ishiba meets face-to-face daily at the official residence from the cabinet's launch on the 1st of last month until the 28th of this month, he met most frequently with Hiroshi Moriyama, Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Prime Minister Ishiba held 27 meetings with Secretary-General Moriyama over about two months, including standing conversations and meetings attended by others. Moriyama is reported to have advised Ishiba on early dissolution of the House of Representatives.

Next in frequency were Ryosei Akazawa, Minister for Economic Revitalization (15 times); Katsunobu Kato, Minister of Finance (12 times); Shinjiro Koizumi, former LDP Election Strategy Committee Chairman (9 times); and Itsunori Onodera, LDP Policy Research Council Chairman (7 times). Minister Akazawa is a close aide sharing the same electoral district, Tottori Prefecture, with Prime Minister Ishiba. Tottori Prefecture is the least populous prefecture in Japan.

Mainichi analyzed that Ishiba attended about 20 occasions with political, business, and Tottori Prefecture officials over the past two months, but half were large events where he only gave greetings, and there were few substantial dining meetings. It added, "There were only two occasions where he appeared to exchange opinions over meals with a small number of business executives," evaluating that Ishiba's approach contrasts with former Prime Ministers Fumio Kishida and Yoshihide Suga, who frequently dined with business leaders.

It also added, "Ishiba, who is pointed out to have a weak base within the party, has had few opportunities to dine with regime officials who support him."

After the LDP and its coalition partner Komeito failed to secure a majority in the House of Representatives election on the 27th of last month, there are forecasts inside and outside the political world that the Ishiba administration's duration will not be long.