TOKYO, Oct 2 (Kyodo/APP): Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday was given an award for the celebrity who looks best in glasses in the political category.
The 68-year-old Japanese leader, who has decided to step down after about a year in office following setbacks in national elections, is the first sitting prime minister in 29 years to be chosen as the politician with the “best dressed eyes” after Ryutaro Hashimoto, according to the award presenter.
“Sometimes good things happen in life,” Ishiba, who called the award “unexpected,” said at the ceremony held as part of a major trade show for optical and eyewear-related products in Tokyo.
The prime minister said he began wearing glasses after he was advised to do so to soften his image during a past leadership race for his Liberal Democratic Party.
“It’s important to make people want to believe in you without being menacing or intimidating,” he also said.
On its website, the award presenter said many in political circles regard Ishiba’s appearance wearing glasses as he engages in official duties as his signature look.
Ishiba was offered a pair of sunglasses as a supplementary prize, which he tried on.