Commentary: How Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida got his groove back

He’s taken a page or two out of Abe’s playbook. The late leader became a master of sticking it out through scandals, relying on internal support – and a lack of alternatives – to wait until the media ran out of material. While Kishida doesn’t have Abe’s control of the party, he’s been aided by the fact that the Abe faction, the LDP’s largest grouping, remains in disarray and has yet to choose a new leader.

DIPLOMATIC ENDEAVOURS

Fortune has favoured him in other ways. Kishida’s strengths lie in international diplomacy, and he took power in a post-COVID world at a time when he could shine.

A visit to Kyiv in March contrasted well with Xi Jinping meeting Vladimir Putin at the same time. This month, he courted the Global South with a multi-stage visit to Africa, the first for a Japanese leader in nearly a decade.

Thanks largely to the Biden administration’s increasingly tough stance on China, Tokyo is gaining global relevance as Washington seeks allies to contain Beijing’s rise – a multi-pronged strategy espoused by Abe. US pressure was also a likely factor in the outreach from South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has sought to repair ties strained for years.

That has enabled Kishida to get good press for hosting his counterpart in Tokyo and, in a quick turnaround, reciprocating that visit this week in Seoul. After Yoon’s trip to Washington last month, President Joe Biden can paint a picture of an alliance on China’s doorstep, one in which Japan features front and centre. That Kishida, in effect, let Seoul blink first in seeking to mend relations also helps at home, where the public is weary of demands for wartime apologies.

REFRESHED MANDATE

Domestically, things are going Kishida’s way, too. On Monday (May 8), the country drew a line under the pandemic by downgrading coronavirus to the same status as seasonal influenza, ending most COVID-era measures. The return of throngs of foreign tourists will help boost parts of the economy and stabilize the yen, contributing to a sense of an economic pickup even if its actual impact is limited.

The premier’s quick return to the campaign trail last month following a failed assassination attempt made him look like leadership material. The left-field choice of governor for the Bank of Japan – one that, if mishandled, had the potential to roil the economy – has so far paid off, with Kazuo Ueda toeing the line on easy money.