Japan PM Shigeru Ishiba quits after election loss, new LDP leader to be chosen

Japanese Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba declared his resignation on Sunday, September 7, 2025, barely nine months since assuming office on October 01, 2024, after his party lost control of the upper house elections.

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition mate Komeita secured 47 seats in the July pates, falling short of the 50 needed to maintain a maturity. 

The result increased pressure on Ishiba particularly from the party’s right-sect body, which demanded a leadership change.

Ishiba told reporters in Tokyo that he would step down as Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president but remain in office until a successor in chosen. He asked party’s general secretary to immediately begin preparation for a leadership election.

“This is the right timing to resign”, Ishiba said at a press conference. He highlighted recent negotiations with Washington that aimed to ease United States (U.S.) on Japanese imports, but admitted that the election setback required accountability.

Former defence minister, Ishiba, became Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader in October 2024, presenting himself as the face of the party’s moderate wing. He called a snap election soon after taking office, but instead of strengthening his position, the LDP lost its lower house majority.

The July defeat in the upper chamber deepened uncertainty in Japan’s political landscape. Polls published last week by Yomiuri Shimbun showed 149 LDP lawmakers in favour of holding a leadership vote, while 48 opposed.

Much of Ishiba’s tenure was overshowed by trade tensions with the United States (U.S.).

In February and April this year, he met President Donald Trump in Washington to negotiate reductions on tariffs that had affected Japanese car exports and other industries.

Although a deal was announced in July, Japanese officials later discovered that tariff rates were not reduced as expected but instead increased temporarily. The United States (U.S.) later admitted an error, adding further strain to Ishiba’s government.

At Sunday’s press conference, Ishiba pointed to the economic struggles of ordinary citizens, including the weak yen and high food prices. He said his government had worked “to support those who are suffering” and strengthen Japan’s position in global trade.

The resignation sets up a leadership contest that will decide Japan’s next prime minster. Two frontrunners have already emerged, Sanae Takaichi a conservative lawmaker who nearly won last year’s leadership elections, and Shinjiro Koizumi, a reformist politician often seen as a future leader of the party.

Political experts say the direction of the LDP’s leadership could reshape Japan’s role in regional diplomacy, particularly in relation with South Korea, China, and the United States (U.S.).

However, Ishiba will remain prime minister until the LDP selects a new leader, who will become Japan’s next prime minister after a parliamentary vote.