Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has stepped down from his post, following heavy pressure from his own party due to back-to-back election losses.
The 68-year-old leader announced on Sunday that he would resign to “pass the baton to the next generation.”
Since taking power last October, Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has suffered two major defeats.
First in a Lower House election last October 2024, and then in July when the ruling coalition lost control of the Upper House.
These losses left the LDP in a weakened state, now leading only a minority government and forcing it to rely on opposition support to pass any legislation.
The defeats also reflected wider frustrations among voters who have been facing inflation.
Senior party members, including Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, reportedly urged him to quit.
Surveys also showed strong support among local party chapters and lawmakers for replacing him.
His resignation followed what he called a turning point, after the U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order this month approving a trade deal over tariffs with Japan.
Ishiba would remain in office as caretaker prime minister until his successor is elected as a leadership race is ongoing.