Well, that didn’t last long.

We knew it would be hard to pin down the policies of newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. In his remarks on everything from economic plans to his approach to China he’s been evasive, as he smartly navigated the election campaign that unexpectedly won him control of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party just a week ago.

We didn’t expect him to be this slippery, however. Following the shock victory, investors, analysts and diplomatic corps the world over have been scrambling to understand everything from his take on monetary policy to what he means exactly when he says he wants to form an "Asian NATO,” only for Ishiba to pull the rug out from under them.