regained government. In 2011, Ishiba backed the idea of Japan maintaining the capability of building nuclear weapons: During the 2013 North Korean crisis, Ishiba stated that Japan had the right to deliver a preemptive strike against North Korea. In 2017, Ishiba reiterated that Japan should have the capability to build nuclear weapons, stating that "Japan should have the technology to build a nuclear weapon if it wants to do so". Personal life Ishiba is a Protestant Christian. He was baptised at the age of 18 in the Tottori Church of the United Church of Christ in Japan. In recent years he has attended the Evangelical CBMC's National Prayer Breakfast. He also visits the Buddhist graves of his ancestors and worships at the shinto shrine. Ishiba is known as a "Otaku" for military, vehicles, trains and Japanese idol. He made headlines when he allowed a Japan Self-Defence Forces' vehicle to be displayed at the Shizuoka Hobby Show, a trade fair for plastic and radio-controlled models. When the Russian Defence Minister visited Japan, he stayed up all night assembling a plastic model of the "Admiral Kuznetsov". Electoral record Gallery References External links 石破茂-アゴラ 石破茂（いしばしげる）ブログ 1957 births Living people Politicians from Tottori Prefecture Japanese defense ministers Ministers of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan Members of the House of Representatives (Japan) Members of the United Church of Christ in Japan Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians Members of Nippon Kaigi Keio University alumni 21st-century Japanese politicians