Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba Announces Plans to Step Down After LDP Election Loss

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Sunday signaled his intention to resign amid mounting pressure from his party following its heavy defeat in the July parliamentary elections, NHK reported. The Prime Minister’s Office has yet to issue an official statement.

Ishiba, who assumed office in October, had resisted calls from mostly right-wing party members to step down for over a month. The move is seen as an effort to unify the fractured Liberal Democratic Party ahead of a possible leadership vote scheduled for Monday.

The resignation follows a challenging year for Ishiba and the LDP, marked by electoral losses and public frustration over rising living costs, economic stagnation, and perceived neglect of citizens’ everyday concerns.