Japan’s PM to step down amid scandals, rising costs

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced he will step down next month, resigning due to public dissatisfaction over political scandals and increasing living costs that have marred his three-year term.

His decision has triggered a contest to replace him as the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and, consequently, as Japan's prime minister, Caliber.Az informs via foreign media.

"Politics cannot function without public trust. I made this heavy decision thinking of the public, with the strong will to push political reform forward," Kishida said during a press conference announcing his decision not to seek re-election as LDP leader.

The LDP is set to hold a leadership contest in September to select a new party president, who will also assume the role of prime minister.

Kishida’s approval ratings began to decline sharply after he assumed office in 2021, particularly following revelations about the LDP’s connections to the controversial Unification Church. His popularity further waned with the exposure of a slush fund involving unrecorded political donations from LDP fundraising events.

Additionally, Kishida faced growing public frustration as wages failed to keep up with rising living costs, a significant issue as Japan emerged from years of deflation.

"An LDP incumbent prime minister cannot run in the presidential race unless he's assured of a victory. It's like the grand champion yokozunas of sumo. You don't just win, but you need to win with grace," noted Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Sophia University.

The incoming LDP leader will face the challenge of restoring public confidence in the party while addressing pressing issues such as the escalating cost of living, increasing geopolitical tensions with China, and the potential return of Donald Trump as U.S. president next year.