By Sakura Murakami and John Geddie TOKYO (Reuters) -A leadership contest in Japan's ruling party to determine who will take over as prime minister headed to a run-off on Friday, putting a candidate seeking to become Japan's first female premier against a veteran making his fifth leadership bid.

Shigeru Ishiba was elected as the new prime minister of Japan on Friday. The country’s governing political party, the Liberal Democratic Party, voted for the former minister of defense to lead the country. Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party has primarily been the country’s ruling party since the end of World War II.

Japan could witness its first female prime minister as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party prepares for a crucial leadership vote.

Ishiba prevailed over hardline nationalist Sanae Takaichi in a run-off vote in what was one of the most unpredictable Liberal Democratic Party leadership elections in decades.

Shigeru Ishiba, a former defense minister known for his plainspoken opinions, will replace Fumio Kishida next week.

TOKYO (AP) — The governing party of outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds a key vote Friday that will establish a new national leader.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba doesn’t actively support interest rate hikes from the Bank of Japan, the country’s economic revitalization minister said, underscoring the government’s stance against premature increases in borrowing costs.

The Japanese parliament officially elected Sigeru Ishiba as the country's new prime minister on Tuesday, replacing Fumio Kishida.

Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged to stick to the vital Japan-U.S. alliance while calling for it to be more equitable after he took office Tuesday vowing to tackle a slow economy and regain public trust before an upcoming election.

Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged to stick to the vital Japan-U.S. alliance while calling for it to be more equitable after he took office Tuesday