On August 14, the day before Japan’s End of the War Day, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a sudden announcement about his intention to resign. Kishida stated that he would not run in the next leadership election for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), scheduled for September. This means the winner of the upcoming presidential LDP ballot will be the new Japanese prime minister.

Precisely three years ago, when Kishida declared his candidacy for the LDP leadership race, it triggered the resignation of then prime minister Yoshihide Suga. After ascending as Japan’s 100th prime minister, Kishida focused on addressing issues left unresolved by previous administrations.

Kishida, known for his leadership style of “listening”, was harshly criticised even by LDP members for not clearly conveying his intentions. Ironically, before his sudden decision to step down, Kishida spent an unusual weekend without meeting anyone for two days, according to local reporters, which seemingly gave him the time to reflect.