Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation on Sunday, opening the door for an emergency leadership race within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and introducing a period of potential political uncertainty for the country.
At a press conference, the 68-year-old Ishiba stated that he will remain in office until his successor is chosen, urging his party to immediately organize the replacement process.
“With Japan having signed the trade agreement and the president issuing the executive order, we have cleared a key hurdle,” Ishiba said, his voice reflecting emotion.
“I would like to pass the baton to the next generation,” he added.
His resignation follows the loss of the governing coalition’s majority in recent parliamentary elections, amid growing voter dissatisfaction over rising living costs.
Although Ishiba had previously resisted calls to resign after the upper house elections in July, he had focused on finalizing a trade agreement with the United States, which impacted Japan’s automotive industry due to tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
