Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba plans to resign to avoid party split

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has decided to resign to avoid a split within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), public broadcaster NHK said on Sunday (September 7, 2025).

The Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

With Mr. Ishiba at the helm, the LDP-led coalition has lost its majority in elections for both houses of parliament since coming to power last year, amid voter anger over rising living costs.

LDP lawmakers are scheduled to vote on Monday (September 8, 2025) whether to hold an extraordinary leadership election. Mr. Ishiba’s government finalised details of a trade deal with the United States last week.