Far from ushering in an era of stability, Shigeru Ishiba’s year-long premiership has actively destabilized Japanese politics, culminating in his own resignation. His tenure was characterized by a series of crises that have left the country’s political landscape more fractured and uncertain than before.
The primary destabilizing event was the loss of the LDP coalition’s majority in the lower house, followed by the upper house. This destroyed the foundation of stable governance that Japan had known for years, creating a divided parliament where gridlock is the new norm.
This electoral failure, in turn, destabilized the LDP itself, unleashing fierce internal power struggles that had been kept in check by previous leaders. The constant infighting and the eventual ousting of Ishiba have projected an image of a party in chaos.
Now, as he departs, Japan is left in a state of flux. The country faces an unpredictable leadership contest and the prospect of continued weak governance. Ishiba’s legacy, therefore, is not one of quiet centrism but of a year of turmoil that has reshaped and weakened the political system.