Former Japanese foreign minister Fumio Kishida has won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) presidential election which paves the way for him to replace Yoshihide Suga as Japan’s  Prime Minister.

Kishida beat initial favourite Taro Kono–the vaccination minister.

The soft-spoken 64-year-old comes from a family of politicians hailing from Hiroshima. He has been a contender for the Prime Minister's position for a while. He had last year lost the position to Suga, who recently announced his plans to step down.

However, Kishida's job is not over yet. He has to face the electorate once again in November this year as Japan goes for general elections. In 2022 also he will have to take the LDP into elections for the House of Councillors–the Japanese upper house of the Japanese Diet.

Kishida faces numerous challenges as he takes on the top job. He has to restore the economy shaken by the coronavirus pandemic, stave off a challenge from a militant China as well as strengthen Japan's relations with countries like the US and India.  

Kishida is not unaware of the national and regional challenges that lie before him.

Kyodo news agency reports that Kishida telling his partymen: "We remain under a national crisis. We must strive and continue our coronavirus response and forge an economic package in the size of dozens of trillions of yen by the end of the year".

He is believed to be a moderate who enjoys support from the liberals in the party.

A supporter of the man on the street, Kishida has said that he would like the benefits of growth to percolate to the ordinary people. He says that Japan's public wants a "politics of generosity" and has vowed to eliminate income inequality.

Kishida was earlier the LDP's policy chief and the country's foreign minister between 2012-17. During his tenure, he negotiated accords with Russia and South Korea, both nations with which Japan has continuing tussles in the region.

As the foreign minister he was acclaimed for bringing the then-US President Barack Obama to Hiroshima on a historic visit.

On the foreign policy front, he is known for his public stand over abolishing nuclear weapons.
 
In his personal life, Kishida is known to enjoy baseball as well as drinks. His wife comes from a wealthy business family.

He followed his father and grandfather into politics.