Japan PM Shigeru Ishiba announces resignation after election defeat

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba signalled on Sunday, September 7, that he will resign, bowing to mounting pressure from within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) after its poor performance in July’s parliamentary election, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Ishiba, who took office in October last year, had resisted demands for over a month from mostly right-wing factions in his party to step aside. His announcement comes a day before the LDP is set to vote on whether to hold an early leadership election — a move widely seen as a no-confidence test.

Under Ishiba’s leadership, the LDP-led coalition lost its majority in both houses of parliament, fueling discontent amid voter frustration over rising living costs. Party lawmakers are scheduled to decide on Monday whether to proceed with an extraordinary leadership contest.

The decision also follows the government’s recent finalisation of a trade deal with the United States, underscoring the political turbulence facing Japan’s leadership despite key policy achievements.

The country has seen three prime ministers in the last five years, with Ishiba not even completing a full year in office. His predecessors include Suga Yoshihide, who served from September 2020 to October 2021 as the 99th PM, followed by Kishida Fumio, who briefly held the 100th term from October to November 2021 before continuing as the 101st PM until October 2024.

(Edited by : Priyanka Deshpande)