upturned these perceptions

and by the public—as the perennial outsider. Ishiba himself is said to have believed that only ‘destiny’ could propel him to the leadership of Japan. The events of 27 September have upturned these perceptions. In a hard-fought contest between a record-breaking nine candidates, votes from the Members of Parliament (Diet) and internal party members were almost tied between Ishiba and Sanae Takaichi, leading to the necessity of a run-off election. After the first round of voting, it was Takaichi who took the lead, with 178 votes versus Ishiba’s 175. However, in a stunning upset in the second round, vote consolidation among several of the other contenders resulted in Ishiba carrying off a 21-vote victory, winning 215 endorsements against Takaichi’s ufabet