Japan's Ishiba tries to buy time after election loss

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sought to buy time in office following a second election setback in less than a year.

- SAKURA MURAKAMI

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sought to buy time in office following a second election setback in less than a year. But whether he stays days, weeks or even months, Sunday's vote made clear that his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) needs an overhaul to stay relevant.

Ishiba on Monday vowed to remain in his job even though his LDP-led coalition finished Sunday running a government without a majority in both chambers of parliament for the first time since the party's founding seven decades ago. While it has ruled Japan for most of that period, younger voters are increasingly turning toward populist smaller parties as rising prices fuel discontent.

"The LDP is a fatigued party and it has a brand problem," said David Boling, director at the Eurasia Group covering Japan and Asia Trade, former negotiator at the USTR. "To be blunt I think many Japanese and many Japanese voters see it as a party of old men who are out of touch."