Former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Become International Advisor to the Praemium Imperiale
2026.10.20
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Fumio Kishida, former Prime Minister of Japan and a member of the House of Representatives (Lower House) from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), will become a new International Advisor to the Praemium Imperiale, organized by the Japan Art Association, on October 27.
Japan’s previous International Advisor, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, had held the position since September 2021 until his death on July 8, 2022. The position has remained vacant since then. As his successor, Mr. Kishida will preside over the Asian Nomination Committee and recommend candidates for the awards.
Mr. Kishida will be the third Japanese International Advisor, following former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone and Mr. Abe. He will attend the joint press conference of the 37th Praemium Imperiale, to be held at The Okura Tokyo, on October 27.
Fumio Kishida (Born July 29, 1957 / Shibuya, Tokyo)
Fumio Kishida graduated from the Faculty of Law at Waseda University in 1982 and joined the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan. In 1987, he became secretary to his father, Fumitake Kishida, then a member of the House of Representatives. He was first elected to the House in the 1993 general election and has since represented Hiroshima’s 1st District.
Mr. Kishida has held a number of government posts, including Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Construction, Senior Vice-Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Minister of State for Special Missions. In 2012, he was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Second Abe Cabinet. His tenure of approximately four years and seven months was the longest continuous term served by a postwar Japanese foreign minister. In 2017, he also served concurrently as Minister of Defense. After serving as Chairperson of the LDP Policy Research Council, he became Japan’s 100th Prime Minister in October 2021.
As Prime Minister, Mr. Kishida promoted economic policies under the banner of “New Capitalism,” emphasizing wage growth and investment for economic growth. In foreign affairs, he worked to strengthen the Japan–U.S. alliance, improve Japan–South Korea relations, and address Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, among other issues, while seeking to uphold the international order and promote international cooperation.
In 2023, he hosted the G7 Hiroshima Summit and presented the “Hiroshima Action Plan,” setting out Japan’s commitment to pursuing a world without nuclear weapons from Hiroshima, the city devastated by the atomic bombing. He left office in October 2024 and continues his political activities as Chairperson of Japan’s Growth Strategy Headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party.
International Advisors
The other International Advisors are Christopher Patten (U.K.), former Chancellor of the University of Oxford; Klaus-Dieter Lehmann (Germany), former President of the Goethe-Institut; Hillary Rodham Clinton (U.S.), former Secretary of State; Paolo Gentiloni (Italy), former Prime Minister; and Patricia Barbizet (France), President of the Association of Large French Companies (AFEP).
Each International Advisor has a nomination committee composed of experts who recommend candidates for the awards each year. The International Advisors announce the Laureates in their respective countries.