The failure and subsequent resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba raises a question that goes beyond his own leadership: Can anyone effectively govern Japan in its current state? His downfall points to systemic problems that will challenge any successor.
The combination of a newly divided parliament, a deeply cynical public, and a ruling party at war with itself creates a nearly impossible governing environment. A prime minister must simultaneously fight a legislative battle with the opposition and a political battle with their own colleagues.
This “perfect storm” of challenges suggests that the problem may not have been just Ishiba himself, but the office he held. He was caught in a political trap, one that is now set for the next leader of the LDP.
As Japan searches for a new prime minister, the country may need to grapple with the fact that its political system has become incredibly difficult to manage. The quicksand that pulled Ishiba down is still there, waiting for the next person to step in.