Grapevine

By Al Jazeera
Sep 2, 2024

Japan’s ruling party faces ‘generational battle’ as it chooses new leader

Fumio Kishida promised reform when he said he was stepping down as prime minister after a term marred by controversy.

When Fumio Kishida declared earlier this month that he would not seek re-election as leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and was stepping down as prime minister, the announcement was abrupt, but not a shock.

Kishida, who took office in October 2021, was struggling with record-low approval ratings over the rising cost of living and corruption scandals in the LDP.

Given that most Japanese prime ministers have survived only a year or two in the job, Kishida’s three-year term remains the eighth longest in Japan’s post-war history.

But marred by controversy, he said stepping aside was a chance for a reset.