Tokyo, Japan – Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation on Sunday, stepping down on the eve of a key Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) meeting that was widely expected to strip him of power following a series of bruising electoral losses.
“I have decided to resign as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. According to the party statutes, the call for an extraordinary campaign to elect a new president is no longer necessary,” Ishiba told reporters at a hastily arranged press conference after news of his decision leaked.
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His departure sets the stage for yet another leadership contest within the ruling LDP — the third in five years — underscoring Japan’s political instability. None of the past two prime ministers managed to complete their terms.
A Daunting In-Tray for Successor
Japan’s next leader will face an uphill task: repairing strained US-Japan relations, tackling soaring inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, and navigating a parliament where the ruling coalition no longer holds a majority in either house.
“I have long said I had no intention of clinging to power and would step aside at the appropriate time,” Ishiba said. “That time is now.”
His announcement came shortly after Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator and Minister of Economic Revitalization, returned from Washington having signed a U.S. executive order lowering tariffs on Japanese cars to 15 percent. Ishiba praised the deal as a “milestone” and urged his successor to fully implement it.
Resignation Amid Party Revolt
Ishiba’s position had become untenable after the July 20 upper house elections, where the ruling coalition lost its majority, sparking open dissent within the LDP. His exit as party leader automatically ends his tenure as prime minister, since Japan’s head of government must be the leader of the largest party in parliament.
Elected party chief only last September, Ishiba highlighted what he considered his key achievements:
- Finalizing the trade deal with Washington
- Implementing a record rise in the minimum wage
- Passing an emergency budget to combat inflation
He thanked supporters, apologized “for having to resign,” and urged his successor to strengthen ties with the United States, deepen partnerships with Asia, Africa, and Europe, and prepare for new security threats. He voiced concern over increasing cooperation between North Korea, Russia, and China, calling credible deterrence “an urgent priority.
LDP Election Ahead
The LDP is expected to announce Monday the timeline for its leadership election, which will also determine Japan’s next prime minister. Ishiba confirmed he will not be a candidate.
According to public opinion polls, the frontrunners include former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who rose to prominence during the country’s recent “rice crisis.
For Japan, Ishiba’s resignation marks yet another chapter of political churn, as the nation braces for its fourth prime minister in just five years.
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