With Shigeru Ishiba’s departure, the view of Japan’s political landscape is undeniably bleak. His resignation does not solve the country’s core problems but merely removes a single figure from a scene of widespread dysfunction and discontent.
The landscape is defined by a government that cannot command a legislative majority, making decisive action on pressing issues like the economy nearly impossible. It is further scarred by the deep rift between the public and the political class, a gap widened by recent scandals and a perceived lack of responsiveness.
Within the ruling LDP, the terrain is no better. The party is a battlefield of competing factions, more focused on internal power struggles than on providing coherent governance for the nation.
Ishiba’s successor will step into this bleak landscape with very few tools at their disposal. They will have no popular mandate, no guaranteed legislative support, and no united party behind them. It is a daunting prospect for even the most skilled politician.