Who Could Join Race to Be Japan's Next Prime Minister

Ishiba's Exit to Trigger Party Leadership Race, But No Guarantee Winner Will Be Premier

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TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Sept 7 that he would resign, caving in to ruling party pressure on him to take responsibility for a series of election losses, most recently in July's Upper House polls.

Mr Ishiba's resignation will trigger a leadership race in his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), with the winner facing a Parliament vote to become prime minister.

Since the ruling coalition has lost its majorities in both Chambers of Parliament, the LDP president is no longer guaranteed to become premier. There is a slim possibility that an opposition party leader will take the helm of one of the world's largest economies.

Here is a list of lawmakers who might throw their hats in the ring:

RULING: LDP

Sanae Takaichi, 64: If chosen, Ms Takaichi would be Japan's first female prime minister.

A party veteran who has held a variety of roles, including that of economic security and internal affairs minister, she lost to Mr Ishiba in the LDP leadership race in a runoff vote in 2024.

Known for conservative positions such as revising the pacifist post-war Constitution, Ms Takaichi is a regular visitor to the Yasukuni shrine to honour Japan's war dead, viewed by some Asian neighbours as a symbol of past militarism.