Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, president of the Liberal Democratic Party, explains the results of the Upper House election at a press conference, July 21, LDP headquarters (©Sankei by Akira Konno).
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Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who also heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has resolved to make a final decision in August on whether to resign following the party's setback in the recent Upper House election. His decision will reflect both the party's official post-election review and the broader political schedule.
Should he opt to step down, analysts expect the LDP will elect a new party leader around September. An extraordinary session of the Diet would likely follow in October to choose the next prime minister.
Key Events Delay Resignation Decision
Ishiba's decision to remain in office, at least for now, has sparked growing criticism within the LDP. However, the prime minister is slated to attend a series of key national events in August. These include the atomic bombing memorial ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, and the end-of-WWII commemoration on August 15.
He is also scheduled to participate in the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), to be held in Yokohama from August 20 to 22. According to those close to him, Ishiba believes his presence at these events is indispensable, making a formal announcement on his political future more likely in late August.
Before that, Ishiba is expected to join a joint meeting of LDP lawmakers as early as July 29, where he will hear opinions directly from party members. The LDP plans to complete its analysis of the election loss and release an official assessment sometime in August.
Tariff Talks Buy Time
Ishiba has pointed to ongoing tariff negotiations with Donald Trump's administration as one reason for postponing a resignation decision. On July 23 (Japan Standard Time), the United States agreed to lower its proposed reciprocal tariffs on Japanese goods from 25% to 15%.
When asked that morning whether the deal might influence his decision to step down, Ishiba said only that he would need time to "closely examine the content of the agreement" before commenting.
Later that afternoon, he met at LDP headquarters with three former prime ministers: Taro Aso (now Supreme Advisor), Yoshihide Suga (Vice President), and Fumio Kishida. He used the meeting to share his views on the future of his administration. LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama also joined the meeting.
After the meeting, Ishiba stressed the importance of party unity. Speaking to reporters, he said that the group had "shared a strong sense of crisis" and that "a party split must never be allowed."
He firmly denied reports that he was preparing to resign, stating, "I have never made such a statement." Ishiba also clarified that "no discussion whatsoever" about his resignation had taken place during the meeting.
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Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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