Calls from his party for accountability in the July parliamentary election defeat pushed Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to announce on Sunday that he will resign.
Ishiba, who assumed office in October, had resisted these demands from mainly right-wing opponents within his party for more than a month, warning that stepping down could create a political vacuum during a time of critical domestic and international challenges.
The resignation came just a day before the Liberal Democratic Party was set to decide whether to hold an early leadership election, which would have acted as a virtual no-confidence vote against him if approved.
During a televised press conference, Ishiba explained that he would initiate a process to hold a party leadership vote to select his successor and indicated that Monday’s decision was no longer necessary.
Had he remained in office, he would have faced mounting difficulties managing both a divided party and a minority government.
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Election Losses and Party Pressure
In July, Ishiba’s ruling coalition failed to win a majority in the 248-seat upper house election, further weakening his government’s stability. This defeat came after an earlier loss in the lower house, where the party-led coalition also failed to secure a majority.
The decision followed a Saturday meeting with Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his perceived mentor, former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who apparently recommended that Ishiba resign ahead of the upcoming vote.
Previously, Ishiba had insisted on staying, emphasizing the importance of avoiding a political vacuum during a period of serious challenges, including U.S. tariffs affecting Japan’s economy, rising prices, rice policy reforms, and growing regional tensions.
Since the LDP’s adoption of a review of the election defeat last week, which called for a complete party overhaul, calls for an early leadership vote or Ishiba’s resignation ahead of Monday’s decision had intensified.
Internal Party Demands
Conservative heavyweight Taro Aso, known for opposing Ishiba, along with several ministers and deputy ministers in the Ishiba Cabinet, requested an early vote, prompting additional party members to join the call.
Former Health Minister Norihisa Tamura told an NHK talk show that the best way to resolve the party’s division and move forward was for Ishiba “to settle” the dispute before Monday’s vote, urging him to resign.
Tamura added that the party had already been distracted from essential work on economic measures and seeking opposition support for the next parliamentary session. With Ishiba stepping down as party leader, the LDP is expected to announce a date for its party presidential election, likely in early October.
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Prospective Leadership Candidates
Potential candidates include Shinjiro Koizumi, ultra-conservative former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, who is considered a moderate and protege of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Since the party lacks a majority in both houses, the next LDP leader will need to collaborate with the main opposition parties to pass bills, experts say, or face repeated threats of no-confidence motions. The opposition, however, is too fragmented to form a strong coalition capable of toppling the government.
In recent weeks, Ishiba successfully persuaded U.S. President Donald Trump to reduce tariffs imposed on Japan from 25 percent to 15 percent. He also instructed his chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, to deliver a letter to Trump expressing a desire to build “the golden era” of the Japan-U.S. alliance and inviting the American leader to visit Japan.
Ishiba’s top aide, LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama, who played an important role in negotiating with opposition leaders to pass legislation, has expressed his intention to resign on September 2 over the election defeat, though Ishiba has not yet accepted his resignation. Moriyama’s departure would represent a delay for the prime minister.
