Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced his resignation. Get the full story on why the leader is stepping down, the political fallout from his short tenure, and who is next in line to lead the nation.
In a move that sends a political shockwave through the nation, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on Sunday that he will resign, less than a year after taking office.
The decision, which came after weeks of mounting pressure from within his own party, marks a swift and bruising end to his brief and challenging tenure.
Ishiba’s resignation, which he announced in a press conference in Tokyo, is a direct result of two consecutive and disastrous election defeats for his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Komeito.
The first came in October 2024, when his gamble on a snap lower house election backfired, stripping the ruling coalition of its majority.
The second and more decisive blow was in July’s upper house election, which saw the coalition lose its majority in both chambers of parliament for the first time in his tenure.
The electoral setbacks intensified a deep-seated factional discontent within the LDP, with many—particularly right-wing opponents—calling for Ishiba to take responsibility.
Though he initially resisted, citing the need for political stability amidst economic challenges and ongoing trade talks with the United States, his position became untenable.
The announcement came just one day before the LDP was set to vote on a potential early leadership election, a move widely seen as a no-confidence vote against him.
“I have decided to resign from the position of president of the Liberal Democratic Party,” Ishiba stated, adding that his decision was made to prevent further rifts within the party. He said he would stay on as prime minister until a new leader is elected, and has already initiated the process for a party leadership contest.
A Difficult Tenure Plagued by Challenges
Ishiba, a conservative heavyweight known for his defense expertise, ascended to the prime ministership in October 2024 after a hard-fought LDP leadership election. He promised to revitalize depressed rural areas and address Japan’s shrinking population.
However, his government quickly found itself facing a series of crises, including low approval ratings, public anger over rising prices—especially for staple goods like rice—and a lingering political slush fund scandal that eroded trust in the LDP.
His final major act was successfully negotiating a reduction in U.S. tariffs on Japanese imports, a diplomatic victory he hoped would shore up his support.
However, it was not enough to overcome the internal political pressure that had been building since the July election loss.
The Race for the Next Prime Minister
With Ishiba stepping down, the focus now turns to who will lead the world’s fourth-largest economy.
The LDP is expected to hold a party presidential election, likely in early October. The winner will be tasked with navigating a deeply divided parliament and a shaky economic landscape.
Potential successors include prominent figures who have been vying for the top job. Among them are Shinjiro Koizumi, the current agricultural minister and a rising star from a political dynasty, and the ultra-conservative Sanae Takaichi, who narrowly lost to Ishiba in last year’s leadership run-off.
Both candidates represent different paths for the party, with Koizumi seen as a moderate and Takaichi as a fiscal hawk. The next leader will face the monumental challenge of reuniting a fractured party and governing a minority government, a political situation not seen in Japan for many years.
