Japan's PM Kishida to Step Down in September

On August 14, Fumio Kishida signaled he would step down as prime minister. In a press conference, he said he would not be seeking re-election as the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party in September.

The LDP is the majority party in the Japanese governing body — the National Diet. It leads the government together with its minority partner, the Komeito.

Since the majority party's leader traditionally becomes prime minister, this effectively announces Kishida's intention to step down as the country's leader.

In a press conference shortly after 11 AM, PM Kishida explained his motivations for the sudden decision.

"In this [LDP] presidential election, it is necessary to demonstrate to the public that the LDP will change. To this end, a transparent and open election, a free and vigorous debate are important. The first and most obvious step to show that the LDP will change is for me to step aside. I will not run in the upcoming presidential election."

Kishida's announcement comes during the Obon summer holiday, when the LDP should have been gearing up for its September party leadership election.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announces his decision not to run in the next presidential election at a press conference on the morning of August 14 at the Prime Minister's Office. (© Sankei by Ataru Haruna)

In the background of this decision is the opposition the Kishida administration has been facing for the past months. Since late 2023, the LDP has been facing backlash due to a political funds scandal. It was accused of failing to report party money and placing it in slush funds undeclared to tax authorities.

The scandal has snowballed with various consequences. A committee doled out punishments to dozens of LDP politicians who had not reported this income from party activities. New legislation was set up to prevent the problem from recurring. In addition, the party effectively disbanded its faction system. This had the additional effect of nominally dispersing the traditional consensus-gathering process. At the time, this was framed as a way of renewing the party.

According to a poll conducted by the FujiSankei group in July, the Kishida administration had a 25% approval rating. By taking these new steps, the LDP appears to be seeking to revive its image in the face of the upcoming leadership race.

In the weeks preceding Mr Kishida's announcement, various names have been floated as possible successors. Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, considered greatly influential in the LDP, spoke of the party's "renewal" but refrained from supporting any specific candidate. The media has suggested names such as Sanae Takaichi, Shinjiro Koizumi, Taro Kono, Shigeru Ishiba and Katsunobu Kato, among others. Another name that has been frequently mentioned is Takayuki Kobayashi, who spoke to The Sankei Shimbun and JAPAN Forward in an interview, expressing his will to lead the country in the future.

At the time of publication, Kishida had been in office for over 1,000 days, making him the eigth longest-serving Japanese post-war leader. He first became prime minister in October 2021.

As the LDP leadership gears up for the first election without factions, it appears that this summer race has just heated up.