TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's incoming prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, signalled continuity this weekend in his early decisions on key posts for his government, suggesting a desire for stability after an unpredictable leadership race. His picks for finance ...

Shigeru Ishiba’s unexpected ascendance shakes up the Tokyo political scene — and relationship with Washington.

Japan’s ruling party will elect its new leader Friday, and the winner will become the country’s next prime minister.

In electing a new prime minister, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party could have opted for generational change in the form of 43-year-old Shinjiro Koizumi. It could have chosen a return to the nationalistic conservatism of former leader Shinzo Abe — and with it a first female prime minister — in the shape of Sanae Takaichi.

Shigeru Ishiba, right, with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, left, and other candidates, celebrates after Ishiba was elected as new head of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party during its leadership election Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, Pool)

Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a plain-spoken populist, won leadership of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a runoff vote on Friday.

Shigeru Ishiba, a former defense minister known for his plainspoken opinions, will replace Fumio Kishida next week.

Shigeru Ishiba’s election as leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party is expected to put pressure on the country’s stocks on Monday morning after Nikkei 225 futures fell 6 per cent following his victory this week.

His picks for finance, defence and foreign minister, as well as the pivotal post of chief cabinet secretary, appear to draw on seasoned veterans from his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, as he prepares to form a government on Tuesday.