Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba confirmed his resignation on Sunday, responding to mounting pressure within his party following a significant defeat in the July parliamentary election. Ishiba had held his position since October but faced persistent calls from right-wing party members for over a month, citing concerns about creating a political void amid critical domestic and international challenges.
The announcement came a day before his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was set to determine whether to proceed with an early leadership election, seen as a de facto vote of no confidence. During a televised press conference, Ishiba disclosed plans to initiate the process for selecting his successor through a party leadership vote, asserting the decision was imperative.
Had Ishiba remained in office, managing a fractured party and a minority government would have posed considerable challenges. The July electoral setback saw Ishiba’s ruling coalition fail to secure a majority in the upper house, compounding an earlier defeat in the lower house.
Following discussions with Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Saturday, Ishiba opted for resignation before the party’s scheduled leadership vote on Monday. Notably, senior party members, including Taro Aso, advocated for an early leadership vote, contributing to the momentum for Ishiba’s departure.
With Ishiba stepping down, the LDP is expected to announce a date for its party presidential election, likely in early October. Potential contenders include Koizumi, former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, and chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.
The next LDP leader, lacking a parliamentary majority, will need to collaborate with opposition parties to pass legislation or risk facing recurrent no-confidence motions. Despite challenges, Ishiba achieved a reduction in U.S. tariffs on Japanese goods, thanks to negotiations with President Donald Trump.
In a bid to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance, Ishiba expressed his commitment through a letter delivered by his chief trade negotiator to President Trump, inviting him to visit Japan. Meanwhile, LDP secretary general Hiroshi Moriyama, a key negotiator with opposition leaders, expressed intentions to resign over the election loss, a move that could impact the prime minister’s position.