President Anura Kumara’s Visit During Japan's Prime Ministerial Transition - Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who attended the UN General Assembly held in the United States, then departed for Japan for a three-day official visit. Many posts questioned the significance of this visit, citing that the Japanese PM had already stepped down, hence the bilateral discussions would be futile. Let’s dig deeper by first looking at the viral posts.

Social Media Posts :

The following social media post, which was created by combining two posts published on the official Facebook page of the Independent Television News (ITN) website

These posts indicated that the Japanese Prime Minister had already resigned on September 7. The Sri Lanka President met the same Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, on the 29th of September, who had already resigned.

Hence, combining these two news items, the viral post raises questions about whether the President is visiting Japan and meeting with a Prime Minister who had recently resigned, and whether this holds any value for the bilateral discussion.

Explainer :

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Resignation

When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation on September 7, 2025, he remained in office with full constitutional powers until a successor was elected. This is standard practice in parliamentary democracies, ensuring continuity of government during leadership transitions.

Ishiba’s resignation followed electoral setbacks for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which lost its majority in both houses of parliament. The cost-of-living crisis, inflation, and internal party pressures contributed to his decision to step down. More information on this here.

Sri Lanka President’s Meeting with Japanese PM

An official ceremony was held on the 29th at the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office premises to welcome President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who was on an official visit to the country at the invitation of the Japanese government.

The President’s Media Division announced that documents were exchanged by the two countries on development cooperation, including the Project for the Enhancement of Productivity in the Dairy Sector and the Official Security Assistance (OSA) programme. More information here.

Following the official talks between the two premiers, both countries also issued a joint statement to the media. According to the website of the Japanese Embassy in Sri Lanka, the agreements between the two countries were signed by the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr Akio Isamoto, on behalf of Japan, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Mr Vijitha Herath, on behalf of Sri Lanka. You can refer to the media reports published regarding this here and here.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, 68, announced his resignation, saying he would continue to fulfil his responsibility to the people until a new prime minister is chosen. Accordingly, it also states that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party will elect a new leader, who will then become Prime Minister after a parliamentary vote. More information here and here.

Japanese Prime Minister’s international summits and diplomatic meetings after announcing resignation

Despite announcing his resignation, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba continued fulfilling his official duties, including international diplomatic meetings. He addressed the UN General Assembly on September 24 and held bilateral meetings with various world leaders, including the President of Sri Lanka, Dissanayake, on September 29.

Shigeru Ishiba addressed the United Nations General Assembly session held in the United States on the 24th, as the PM of Japan and following this address at the UN General Assembly, he also called a press conference to brief the media about his visit to the US.

Meanwhile, a bilateral meeting was held on the 30th between Japanese Prime Minister and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. There, the Japanese Prime Minister had stated that it was meaningful to conclude his final diplomatic engagement with the South Korean leader as Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, even after announcing his resignation, the official website of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office published the relationships, conferences, and meetings that Shigeru Ishiba maintained as Prime Minister of Japan on behalf of the country and the King, as well as with the international community.

Accordingly, it is clear that the only state diplomatic meeting that took place after the Japanese PM announced his resignation was not the meeting with the Sri Lankan President and his delegation.

Clarification from the Presidential Media Division and the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

We inquired with the Presidential Media Division and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Media Spokesperson regarding the viral posts and their implications for both countries.

They mentioned that there is no impact on the agreements and the understandings reached during the official visit.

Furthermore, they noted that the President’s visit was planned before the Prime Minister announced his resignation and is taking place in accordance with an official invitation received from the country.

We also found the official website of the Presidential Office reporting on February 27 that the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Akio Isamoto, met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat and extended an invitation to him to undertake an official visit to Japan. Accordingly, the official visit to Japan was based on an official invitation from the Government of Japan.

Japan’s New Leadership

On October 4, 2025, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, making her likely to become Japan’s first female Prime Minister. The 64-year-old former Economic Security Minister defeated Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in a runoff vote, receiving 185 votes to Koizumi’s 156.

Takaichi is expected to be officially confirmed as Prime Minister when parliament convenes on October 15, 2025. Her appointment marks a historic moment for Japan, as she will be the first woman to hold the nation’s highest political office.

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Title:President Anura Kumara’s Visit During Japan’s Prime Ministerial Transition

Fact Check By: Fact Crescendo Team

Result: Insight