Prime Minister Fumio Kishida signaled on Monday that he will pursue defense policies aimed at deterring China, address climate change and accelerate the recovery from the pandemic.
Kishida's conservative Liberal Democratic Party defied predictions and held onto its single party majority in Sunday's Lower House election, solidifying his position as head of the fractious party and giving him a freer hand in the Diet, with the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic — including an extra budget — taking priority.
Some had feared that Kishida, only in power for a month, would become another one of Japan's short-term prime ministers, but the election results — which set stocks surging in relief — will allow him to put his own stamp on policies ahead of an Upper House election next summer.