Nov 10, 2021 - World

Fumio Kishida re-elected as Japan's prime minister

Axios

Japan's Prime Minister and leader of ruling Liberal Democratic Party Fumio Kishida (2nd-R) is applauded after being re-elected as PM in Japan's parliament, in Tokyo on November 10 — Japan's Prime Minister and leader of ruling Liberal Democratic Party Fumio Kishida (2nd-R) is applauded after being re-elected in Parliament, in Tokyo on Wednesday. Photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

Fumio Kishida was re-elected as Japan's prime minister Wednesday in a parliamentary session after his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a majority in the House of Representatives election, per AP.

Why it matters: The 261 seats the LDP won in the 465-member lower house at the Oct. 31 election puts Kishida in a more powerful position, as he prepares to protect Japan from a potential COVID-19 resurgence while trying to revive the world's third-largest economy and working with the U.S. and other allies to address security threats.

The big picture: The election was held soon after Kishida replaced former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who resigned in September after a year in office.

Kishida was elected on the promise of a "new capitalism" that's focused on economic growth and wealth redistribution, Kyodo News reports.
He's spoken with President Biden over the phone as he seeks to move toward a "free and open Indo-Pacific region," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said, per Kyodo News.

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Fumio Kishida re-elected as Japan's prime minister

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