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Ishiba Resists Calls to Quit; LDP Factions Seek Leadership Vote

Vowing to weigh the U.S. trade pact’s details before deciding on his future, Ishiba faces a push by party factions gathering signatures for a leadership contest.

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a press conference at the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Tokyo on July 21, 2025, the day after the prime minister's coalition lost its upper house majority. PHILIP FONG/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba holds a press conference on October 9, 2024, at his official residence in Tokyo, Japan, after dissolving the Lower House of Parliament and proceeding for an early election on October 27. David Mareuil/Pool via REUTERS/

Overview

  • Conservative LDP members, including former leadership rival Sanae Takaichi, are collecting signatures to convene a special party meeting for a leadership vote.
  • Ishiba denied media reports of an imminent resignation and says he will remain in office to oversee the implementation of the U.S. deal that caps reciprocal tariffs at 15%.
  • He met with ex-prime ministers Taro Aso, Fumio Kishida and Yoshihide Suga but, his office says, they did not discuss stepping down during their talks.
  • The coalition’s loss of its upper house majority last Sunday leaves Ishiba’s government without a majority in either Diet chamber, deepening policy gridlock.
  • Cabinet approval has plunged below 23%; a Kyodo News poll found nearly half of respondents believe he should not resign.