Liebhaber militärischer Modellflugzeuge wird Japans neuer Premierminister

***The Telegraph reports:***

A  former defence minister who has backed the formation of an “Asian Nato” is set to become the next prime minister of [Japan](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/japan/) after he was elected leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Friday.

Shigeru Ishiba will take over the reins from [Fumio Kishida](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/08/14/japan-pm-fumio-kishida-to-step-down/), the outgoing prime minister, who announced in August that he would step down after a series of political scandals hit the LDP, fuelling calls for him to resign.

Mr Ishiba takes a tough line on foreign policy, but is also known for his hobbies of model military aircraft and railways, and his penchant for 1970s pop music. He once attended the opening of a museum of figurines of popular comic characters in his home prefecture dressed as a character from the Dragon Ball cartoon.

The 67-year old won Friday’s vote after it was pushed into a runoff with Sanae Takaichi, the economic security minister, blocking her path to making history as the country’s first ever female prime minister.

Mr Ishiba takes the helm of the world’s fourth-largest economy at a time of geopolitical [volatility in the Indo-Pacific region](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/comment/2024/04/25/china-blinken-us-visit-us-taiwan-chinese-navy-pla-air-force/) and increasingly troubled ties between Tokyo and Beijing over China’s territorial ambitions, particularly around the disputed Senkaku Islands.

Earlier this week, China test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific, reportedly without giving Japan prior notice. Japan also faces security threats from nuclear-armed North Korea.

**Read more:** [**https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/09/27/shigeru-ishiba-military-model-aircraft-japan-prime-minister/**](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/09/27/shigeru-ishiba-military-model-aircraft-japan-prime-minister/)

Of all the important parts of his background, *this* is what the media focuses on? The fuck is wrong with journalism these days?

His first meeting with the defense ministry and there’s a bunch of mecha kits on his desk… “Gentlemen, I have some ideas.”

Are we shaming hobbies now?

The real news is that Buu costume.

China and the Koreas will use this hobby to accuse him of racism. They’ll find a picture of him with a “Zero” model and accuse him of condoning war crimes. lol

Tamiya stocks are going to soar! As a military model enthusiast, I approve.

I hope he builds Gundams for the military

Is this meant to defame him? Building models, cosplaying as dragonball z characters?

.. because I’m suddenly a fan of his.

Tamiya, one of the largest producers of quality model kits is based in Japan so I’m not surprised.

This is good for the hobby!

This is how we finally get Space Battleship Yamato

He also dressed like freeza (spelling?) from dragon ball z..

The Tamiya Corporation just scaled production by a factor of 24.

Don’t care if he like military models. Do care if he, like EVERY single other LDP prime minister, is a genocide denialist. But seems people are pretty quiet on how basically all but like 2 Japanese PMs have been despicable pieces of shit on that front.