Two years after he officially became Japan¡¯s 64th prime minister, Fumio Kishida can look to the future with cautious optimism.

As he enters his third year in power, Kishida¡¯s trajectory offers a case study of how in the world of politics, one¡¯s fortunes are often shaped more by external factors than political acumen.

With just under a year left until next September¡¯s Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, Kishida is on his way to becoming one of the longest-serving prime ministers in recent history.