Shigeru Ishiba, a former defense minister, will become Japan’s new prime minister after winning the Liberal Democratic Party leadership. He succeeds Fumio Kishida, who resigned due to low approval ratings. Ishiba faces challenges including rising domestic prices, regional security threats from China, North Korea, and Russia, and potential shifts in U.S. policy if Donald Trump is reelected. Ishiba advocates for Japan to have a greater role in its security alliance with the U.S., differing from Kishida’s approach.