TOKYO, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Shigeru Ishiba, the new leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), took office as prime minister on Tuesday.

The 67-year-old received 291 of 461 votes in the House of Representatives and 143 of 242 votes in the House of Councillors during an extraordinary parliamentary session, and was formally elected the country's 102nd prime minister.

Ishiba served as the country's minister of defense from 2007 to 2008, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries from 2008 to 2009, and minister in charge of countryside revitalization from 2014 to 2016.

The veteran politician was also the LDP's Policy Research Council chairman from 2009 to 2011 and its secretary-general from 2012 to 2014.

Ishiba has mainly worked on security issues and the revival of Japan's rural communities in his 38 years of political life.

Ishiba won the presidential election of the ruling LDP over his contender Sanae Takaichi on Sept. 27, securing 215 votes over Takaichi's 194 votes in a runoff.

A long-time aspirant for the top job, Ishiba previously ran in four LDP leadership contests in 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2020, never winning. Making his fifth bid this time, he called the race last week his "last political battle."

Originally from Yazu in the western Japan prefecture of Tottori, Ishiba has been elected 12 times to the House of Representatives from Tottori's 1st district. He was first elected to the lower house in 1986 after a short career in banking.

Born on Feb. 4, 1957, Ishiba is married and has two daughters. Enditem

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