On Wednesday, August 14, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced his plans to step down as premier after three years in power, deciding not to run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) upcoming presidential race. Kishida is taking responsibility for a slush fund scandal that has impacted his administration.
The announcement came as Kishida’s Cabinet was increasing disaster preparedness, following the weather agency’s first-ever advisory warning last week about the increased risk of a megaquake along the Nankai Trough, which extends from central to southwestern Japan in the Pacific.
“At a time when I am free from immediate diplomatic commitments, I have decided not to run in the presidential race as a first step to show the public that the LDP has changed,” Kishida stated during a press conference at the prime minister’s office.
Kishida urged LDP lawmakers to “work as one” under a new leader to restore public trust in politics. He highlighted the importance of addressing various challenges, such as implementing measures to curb the declining birthrate in an aging society and enhancing defense capabilities.
After hosting the Group of Seven (G7) summit in his home constituency of Hiroshima in 2023, Kishida has seen his Cabinet’s approval ratings plummet to around 20 percent due to the scandal that came to light late last year.
As the eighth prime minister since 1945 to reach 1,000 days in office, Kishida announced he would continue to serve as a “rank-and-file” LDP lawmaker. He declined to comment on who would be the best choice for the next party chief and prime minister.
Both Kishida and his predecessor, Yoshihide Suga, were compelled to withdraw from seeking reelection as LDP leaders, making former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who resigned in September 2020, the last LDP chief to win reelection.
