As Japan’s prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba faces the long-running challenge of energising a mature economy while managing an ageing population and shifting regional dynamics. It is a difficult inheritance.
Reviving sustainable growth remains the central task. Japan has spent years grappling with sluggish demand and demographic pressure, and no leader has found an easy answer.
Japan’s role in the region gives his choices broader significance. As a major investor and trading partner across Asia, including in the Philippines, Japanese policy shapes economic ties throughout the neighbourhood.
For the Asia-Pacific, a stable and engaged Japan matters. How Ishiba manages the country’s economic crosscurrents will influence not only Japan’s trajectory but the region it remains deeply tied to.
