Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba likely to step down. Here’s why

Published on: Sept 07, 2025 12:35 pm IST

Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers are scheduled to vote on Monday on whether to hold an emergency leadership election.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Sunday expressed his intention to step down following growing calls from his party to take responsibility for its big loss in the July parliamentary election, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s party suffered a series of election defeats, losing its majority in both houses of Japan’s parliament.(AFP)

While the Prime Minister’s Office has yet to issue an official statement, Ishiba, who took office in October, has resisted demands from mostly rightwing opponents within his own party for more than a month.

The decision is seen as an attempt to unify a fractured party ahead of a potential leadership contest. Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers are scheduled to vote on Monday on whether to hold an emergency leadership election.

Why is the Japanese PM resigning?

Ishiba’s decision to step down from the position comes after a bruising political year for him and his party. Since taking office last year, the LDP-led coalition has suffered a series of election defeats, losing its majority in both houses of Japan’s parliament.

These setbacks have been fueled by growing public dissatisfaction over rising living costs, economic stagnation, and what critics say is a failure to address everyday concerns of Japanese citizens.

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