Overview

• Shigeru Ishiba announced on September 7 that he is stepping down as LDP leader and prime minister and will remain in office until the party chooses a successor.
• The LDP–Komeito bloc lost its Upper House majority in July after already losing the Lower House in October 2024, with voter anger over rising prices and immigration helping the right‑wing Sanseito gain seats.
• Pressure from within the LDP accelerated the move, as ministers and a former premier urged a voluntary exit and senior figures, including Secretary‑General Hiroshi Moriyama, offered to resign.
• Former foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi declared his candidacy; Reuters reports Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi intends to run, and party favorites Sanae Takaichi and Shinjiro Koizumi are seen as potential contenders, with an October vote discussed.
• Ishiba framed the timing after a U.S. trade deal that cut auto tariffs to 15 percent; Tokyo’s Nikkei rose about 1.5 percent and the yen weakened as investors weighed steadier BoJ rates and possible fiscal expansion.