As Ishiba exits, is Japan doomed for ‘revolving door’ era of political instability?

When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on September 7 that he would step down after his party was trounced at the parliamentary polls earlier this year, the country was already staring at what could be an era of flux, marked by revolving door leaders who are slaves to approval ratings amid relentless electoral cycles.

And this trend, according to observers, is likely to persist, pulling Tokyo into a period reminiscent of the 1990s and 2000s when prime ministers were replaced almost yearly and Japan was said to have struggled to project confidence domestically and abroad.

While short-lived leaders are expected to make populist domestic decisions, foreign policy hinges on the political affiliations of whoever takes the top job, analysts say.

On Monday, Japan’s ruling party formally kicked off its leadership race. The victor among the five candidates in the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) October 4 election is expected to become prime minister through a parliamentary vote.In office for barely a year, Ishiba’s quick exit following the short stints of Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida has once again raised concerns of a “revolving door” period, one that stands in sharp contrast with Shinzo Abe’s long tenure from 2012 to 2020.Many observers have credited the slain Abe’s steady stewardship for reviving the economy and stabilising and strengthening Tokyo’s security alliance with Washington.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba steps down