Japan is set to get a new prime minister after Fumio Kishida’s victory in last week’s Liberal Democratic Party presidential election.
In a refreshing spectacle, the Japanese public got to see Kishida and his three competitors actively participate in public policy debates over the past few weeks during one of the most heated and unpredictable races in the history of the ruling party.
Kishida managed to make his case to Japanese voters as to why his plans to battle and arrest the COVID-19 pandemic at home, one of the top issues of concern, will be different from that of his predecessor. The new prime minister would serve the country well, however, by also ensuring that Japan plays a leadership role in the effective global response to COVID-19 and in building future pandemic preparedness for everyone.