Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on Sept. 7 that he is stepping down following two election losses.
Ishiba first took office in October 2024. For weeks, he has rejected calls for his resignation from conservative members of his own party, suggesting that doing so would leave a political vacuum in Japan while it faces critical challenges at home and abroad.
The prime minister announced his resignation one day before his Liberal Democratic Party was poised to decide on potentially holding an early leadership election. If approved, this would have amounted to a virtual no-confidence motion against Ishiba.
During a news conference, the prime minister said he would initiate the process of holding a party leadership vote to determine his replacement and that a Sept. 8 decision was unnecessary….
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Resigns
