Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a rare outspoken critic of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe within the Liberal Democratic Party, unveiled Friday a set of policies that offer formidable alternatives to those of the prime minister, especially in the areas of diplomacy and security.
“I am hoping to devote myself to discussing various policies, whether that would be the novel coronavirus response or the economy ... through this presidential election,” Ishiba said during a news conference.
The 63-year-old Tottori native, who was once the regional revitalization minister from 2015 to 2016 under the Abe administration, identifies invigorating regional economies as one of his key policy pillars.