Ishiba Shigeru becomes the 102nd Prime Minister of Japan

“Ishiba Shigeru has been named as the 102nd prime minister,” Japan's PM's office said on Tuesday.

Kishida had earlier in the day resigned en masse with his Cabinet.

According to local media outlets in Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi announced that Kishida and his ministers stepped down at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Japan's Prime Minister's Office shared a video on Twitter that captured the moment, showing staff members warmly welcoming Kishida and presenting him with bouquets.

“Today (October 1, 2024) the Kishida Cabinet resigned en masse. After taking the decision on resignation during the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Kishida issued a statement in this regard. “He left the Prime Minister's Office after being dismissed by his staff,” Japan's Prime Minister's Office said Friday.

Earlier on Friday, Ishiba was elected as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to replace Kishida, who announced his resignation at the end of his three-year term in August.

Following Kishida's resignation, he issued a statement saying, “Since the inauguration of my Cabinet three years ago, as our country faces the “turning point between eras”, we have responded to those challenges. Faced challenges that cannot be avoided and continuously pursued the initiative of “changing forces in the field of economic and social policy and diplomacy”.

Ishiba, 67, defeated Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi in the runoff vote, Kyodo news outlet reported.

Takaichi received 194 votes to Ishiba's 215, missing the chance to become Japan's first female Prime Minister. Takaichi had contested against Kishida in 2021.

The vote comes after Kishida announced in August that he would not seek re-election.

The LDP has a majority in Parliament and therefore chooses the Prime Minister. Ishiba, who also previously served as Japan's agriculture minister, is expected to soon select new LDP officials and formally form his Cabinet after being elected prime minister.