Preliminary
When it comes to the Japanese Prime Minister, many people will think of Shinzo Abe's "strength", Fumio Kishida's "catering", or Suga Yoshihide's "haste". It seems that in the past ten years, Japanese politics has always been unable to avoid the label of "conservatism" or "blind obedience".
But who could think, that speaking slow, does not like to throw his head out, and even being mocked by the "blowjob", in just 11 months of rule, but delivered a "contra-current" response.
He does not visit the Yasukuni Shrine, does not blindly follow the United States, and dares to speak out for Palestine.
With his seemingly "inconspicuous" actions, he became Japan's most sober and principled prime minister in the past decade.
Not blind to the United States, dare to defend Palestine, he is Japan's three-viewed prime minister
In Japan's politics, there is an unwritten "practice": almost every prime minister will "show a gesture" on the issue of靖国神社, and Abe has personally visited several times during his three term, and still went after his resignation.
Although菅义伟 ruled for only a year, he also served in the name of the prime minister, Shaytada文雄 is also sending "Yun Sheng" on the 15th of August each year in time to meet the conservative sentiment.
But Shigeru Ishiba insists on breaking this "convention". After he became prime minister in 2024, he never set foot in the Yasukuni Shrine during his term of office. He even took the initiative to use the word "introspection" in his World War II commemorative speech.
Just two words, but like a stone knocked into the “comfort zone” of the Japanese right wing.
The conservative media immediately exploded. The Sankei Shimbun published consecutive articles criticizing him for being "weak". Some members even openly questioned in Parliament: "As a prime minister, don't you even have the courage to remember the war dead?"
Faced with the overwhelming accusations, Shi Damao's response remained "rigid":"Remembering the martyrs should not be linked to beautifying the war. Only by facing history can we avoid repeating the same mistakes."
There is no bold explanation, no magnificent vocabulary, but the words are clearly awake.
To know, he was not without a "compromise" reason, when the right-wing forces in the self-government party prevailed, and they could easily consolidate power, but he preferred to choose the most "effortless and unpleasant" path.
Even harder, this awakening is not a "show".Shipoo was the head of the self-government party in the early years, knowing the rules of the functioning of the factions within the party, and also knowing the demands of the conservatives.
But he never put "political interests" above the historical truth.
Some people say that he "does not understand politics", but it is precisely this "inadaptability" that makes him an "unusual" among Japanese prime ministers in the past decade in terms of historical attitude.
When others are busy using “nationalism” to gain support, he holds on to the bottom line of “reflection,” a determination that is more powerful than any “high tone statement.”
If his historical sobriety makes Shigeru Ishiba different from other conservatives, then his diplomatic independence makes him look "out of place".
In the past decade, Japan's prime ministers have almost all regarded "following the United States" as the core of foreign affairs: Abe put forward a "liberal Indo-Pacific strategy", joined the U.S. blockade, Shandong strengthened the "Japan-U.S. alliance", but Sharapova preferred to take a "middle path": to speak to China for cooperation, to say "no" to the United States.
In April 2024, the United States launched a new round of tariff war on China, demanding that Japan “lead the lead in taxation of Chinese goods” and pledged “economic compensation.”
At that time, most senior leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party advocated "accepting the proposal" and believed that it was "a good opportunity to consolidate Japan-US relations."
But the Japanese economy depends on economic and trade cooperation with its neighbors, blindly increasing taxes will only harm its own enterprises, and Japan does not do anyone's "chess".
In September 2025, the United States asked G7 allies to impose tariffs of 50% to 100% on Chinese and Indian goods. Japan also refused and publicly responded that according to WTO commitments, Japan cannot arbitrarily impose excess tariffs on specific countries. Japan will not impose additional tariffs on China and India.
This speech made Washington very dissatisfied, the U.S. ambassador to Japan even made an emergency appointment with Shaprow Moore, expressing "preoccupation", and the Hawks within the Democratic Party also secretly united, trying to force him to make concessions through "Congress questioning".
Instead of pushing Japan and China to strengthen technological cooperation in the automotive and semiconductor fields, he demonstrated with practical actions that “cooperation is more beneficial than confrontation.”
His "non-blind obedience" is also reflected in more sensitive international issues.
At the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025, when the United States and Europe collectively silenced the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Mr. Shapro said: “Japan supports the ‘two-state plan’, and if Israel continues to hinder the establishment of a Palestinian state, we will re-evaluate the policy of aid to Israel.”
You know, Japan has long followed the position of the United States on the Palestinian-Israeli issue and rarely publicly criticizes Israel.
The speech immediately sparked a “debate” in conservative media, and even someone accused him of “destroying Japan-U.S. trilateral relations”, but he insisted that diplomacy should not have “double standards”, and humanitarian bottom line cannot be compromised by alliance relations.
This “true to say the truth” is remarkable.
Perhaps it has something to do with his family. Shigeru Ishiba came from a political family, and his father was a member of the Japanese House of Representatives. What he was exposed to since childhood was not "blind xenophobia" but "pragmatic diplomacy."
In his early years as Minister of Defense, he opposed "excessive militarization", advocated "dispute resolution through dialogue", and during his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of the People's Party, he also promoted civil exchanges between Japan and China, believing that "neighbor relations should not be kidnapped ideologically".
Even if he is prime minister, he remains pragmatic.
Behind the "rigidity" is the determination not to follow the trend
The "stumbling board" of石破茂, in Japanese politics is famous, he does not like to participate in the ensemble, public speaking speaks slowly, even occasionally because of thinking pause, in the face of media inquiries, never good at "playing tai chi", will only directly express opinions.
Some say he "has no leadership charm", but it is precisely this "not packaged" that avoids the "hypocrisy" common to politicians.
His term in office was only 11 months, so short that many people left office before they remembered his appearance.
In just a few months, however, he did what other Japanese prime ministers did not dare to do for a decade: keep the bottom line of history, not blind to the United States, guard national interests, dare to defend Palestine, and keep a humanitarian position.
These actions did not earn him a "high support rate", but won him people's respect.
In the past ten years, Japanese politics has not lacked politicians who are "capable of coming things", but people like Shigeru Ishiba who "do not follow the trend". His "wooden" is not weakness, but his determination of principles. His "low-key" is not incompetence, but a clear understanding of the nature of politics.
Shigeru Ishiba has been prime minister for less than a year, leaving no earth-shattering achievements, but he has proved with his actions that Japanese politics can also have the confidence of 'not catering'.
References:
Foreign Media: Japanese General Assembly Speech: Japan Recognizes Palestinian State Is Only "A Question of Time"
2025-09-24 17:59·Global Times