Japan’s Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, Resigns: What to Know

Asia Pacific|What to Know About the Japanese Prime Minister’s Resignation

Japan entered a period of renewed uncertainty on Sunday, when its embattled leader, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, announced his intent to resign after less than a year in office.

Now Japan, one of the world’s most stable democracies, faces a political reckoning as it grapples with a host of pressing challenges, including a strained relationship with its chief ally, the United States; an increasingly assertive China; and stubborn economic woes that have alienated a generation of young people.

Mr. Ishiba’s resignation has set off a “profound leadership crisis” in Japan, said Mireya Solís, director of the Center for Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

The risk, she said, is that Japan returns to “the politics of indecisiveness,” with a revolving door of prime ministers. Another possibility is that it more forcefully embraces far-right populism, which has been on the rise recently, with right-wing groups making striking gains in a recent parliamentary election.

In either case, Ms. Solís said, “the world would be deprived of a much-needed steady hand at the wheel.”

Here’s a look at why Mr. Ishiba’s resignation matters and what it means for Japan’s future.

What fueled Mr. Ishiba’s downfall?

Japan has been going through a period of unusually rapid change. Inflation, which had been absent for decades, is now running at around 3 percent. Anti-foreigner sentiment is surging amid an influx of international workers and tourists. Trade talks with the Trump administration have been rocky and unpredictable, and many Japanese have felt betrayed by its tariff threats.