Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his intention to resign on September 7, 2025, succumbing to mounting pressure from his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) following a historic defeat in the July 2025 parliamentary elections. The decision, reported by Japan’s NHK public television, comes just one day before the LDP was set to vote on holding an early leadership election, a move widely seen as a no-confidence motion against Ishiba’s leadership.

Ishiba, who assumed office in October 2024 after winning the LDP presidency, faced intense scrutiny after the LDP-Komeito coalition lost its majority in both the upper and lower houses of parliament, marking the party’s worst electoral performance in over a decade. The July 20, 2025, House of Councillors election saw the coalition lose its upper house majority, compounding an earlier loss in the lower house in October 2024. Public frustration over rising costs, a funding scandal, and dissatisfaction with the LDP’s governance fueled the electoral rout, with opposition parties like the Constitutional Democratic Party and the far-right Sanseito gaining significant ground.

Despite initially vowing to remain in office to oversee critical tariff negotiations with the United States, Ishiba’s position became untenable as internal party dissent grew. Right-wing factions, particularly those loyal to the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, criticized Ishiba’s leadership and pushed for his ouster. A pivotal meeting on September 6 with Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reportedly saw calls for Ishiba to step down voluntarily to avoid further fracturing the LDP. The party’s review of the election loss, which demanded a “complete overhaul,” further intensified pressure, culminating in Ishiba’s decision to resign to prevent a deeper party split.

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Ishiba’s resignation triggers a leadership race within the LDP, with potential candidates including ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi, former minister Takayuki Kobayashi, and Shinjiro Koizumi. The new leader will face the daunting task of unifying a fractured party and governing a minority government, relying on opposition support to pass legislation. The LDP’s loss of parliamentary dominance has also raised concerns about Japan’s political stability, with analysts warning of potential economic and diplomatic challenges ahead.

The outgoing prime minister is expected to address the nation in a press conference later on September 7, providing further clarity on his decision and the transition process. As Japan braces for a leadership change, Ishiba’s brief tenure—potentially the shortest since World War II—underscores the volatility of the nation’s political landscape and the LDP’s struggle to regain public trust amidst growing domestic and international pressures.

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