The brief and difficult premiership of Shigeru Ishiba is over. Japan’s leader announced his resignation on Sunday, concluding a term of less than a year that was defined by electoral failure, internal party rebellion, and plummeting public confidence.
From the beginning, Ishiba struggled to gain momentum. After winning the LDP presidency on his fifth attempt, he was immediately confronted with a political crisis when his coalition lost its majority in the lower house. This was followed by another defeat in the upper house, stripping his government of the power to push its agenda forward.
The Prime Minister’s authority eroded rapidly, with opposition mounting within the LDP. Influential figures, including allies of the late Shinzo Abe, were reportedly maneuvering to unseat him. Ishiba’s threat of a snap election to silence his critics only intensified the anger, leading to his eventual concession.
His successor, to be decided in an October party election, faces an uphill battle. They must not only unite a divided party but also address Japan’s economic anxieties, manage rising regional tensions, and restore faith in a political establishment rocked by scandal and public disillusionment.