Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised to reboot the economy and strengthen defence, defeated former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba in the election for Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) chief, winning 553 votes to Ishiba's 254.
If Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stays in office through November 2019, he will have exceeded the 2,886 days marked by Taro Katsura in the early 20th century.
