Japan needs a reformer, not stabilizer, in next PM Kishida

He must remember rank-and-file members voted for change

Outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, left, receives a bouquet from new Liberal Democratic Party President Fumio Kishida on Sept. 29. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)

NAOYA YOSHINO, Nikkei political editor

September 30, 2021 05:03 JST

TOKYO -- In the end, the Liberal Democratic Party chose stability.

Fumio Kishida, who was elected leader of the ruling party, is widely considered a man of no surprises who will continue with the policies of his predecessors.