{"id":2324405,"date":"2024-08-14T12:51:59","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T16:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/japanese-prime-minister-will-step-down-amid-record-low-approval-ratings-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-14T12:58:53","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T16:58:53","slug":"japanese-prime-minister-will-step-down-amid-record-low-approval-ratings-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/japanese-prime-minister-will-step-down-amid-record-low-approval-ratings-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese prime minister will step down amid record-low approval ratings &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjapanese-prime-minister-will-step-down-amid-record-low-approval-ratings-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2324405&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Japanese Prime \u200bMinister Fumio Kishida has announced his decision to step down next month amid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-joe-biden-approval-rating-hits-record-low-as-he-reaches-one-year-as-president\/\" title=\"Poll: Joe Biden Approval Rating Hits Record Low as He Reaches One Year as President\">record-low approval ratings<\/a>, which have plummeted\u2063 to as low as 15.5% according to\u200c various polls. This announcement \u200bcame \u2062just ahead\u200c of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)&#8217;s scheduled leadership vote. Kishida, who previously made progress in foreign policy during his\u2063 tenure as foreign minister, has been criticized for his inability to address pressing \u2064domestic issues, including \u200dJapan&#8217;s declining birth rate, stagnating economy, and rising \u200bnational debt.<\/p>\n<p>During a press\u200b conference, \u200bKishida \u200demphasized\u200c the need \u2063for the LDP to demonstrate its commitment to change, stating that his resignation was a necessary first step to signal\u200d this shift. The LDP, which has dominated \u200cJapanese politics since 1955, has faced internal scandals, including allegations\u2062 of ties to the controversial Unification Church and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-president-trump-gives-pardons-to-73-individuals-and-commutes-another-70-sentences-steve-bannon-is-included\/\" title=\"BREAKING: President Trump Gives Pardons to 73 Individuals and Commutes Another 70 Sentences \u2013 Steve Bannon Is Included\">campaign finance violations<\/a>. As the party prepares for \u2063the leadership election,\u2062 both dues-paying \u200bmembers and elected officials will have equal \u200cvoting power in determining the next leader.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Japanese prime minister will step down amid record-low approval ratings<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1641852\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/japan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Japanese\">Japanese<\/a> Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fumio-kishida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Fumio Kishida\">Fumio Kishida<\/a> announced he would step down next month after grappling with record-low approval ratings.<\/p>\n<p>Kishida&rsquo;s announcement came only days before his ruling Liberal Democratic Party was set to announce the date of its triennial leadership vote, which is required to take place in September. While making progress in foreign policy, coming from his experience as foreign minister, he was widely seen as unable to confront the other problems crippling Japan, including a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/civilization-is-going-to-crumble-musk-on-chinas-plummeting-birth-rate-and-the-need-to-repopulate-the-planet\/\" title=\"\u2018Civilization Is Going To Crumble\u2019: Musk On China\u2019s Plummeting Birth Rate And The Need To Repopulate The Planet\">plummeting birth rate<\/a>, stagnating economy, and growing debt.<\/p>\n<p>A poll from NHK last week found that Kishida&rsquo;s approval rating had halved since taking office, now resting at 25%. Another poll, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cvgd10y2n12o?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bbbc.news.twitter%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D&amp;at_link_type=web_link&amp;at_link_id=CF42631A-59E9-11EF-98C2-DCA0919EE243&amp;at_ptr_name=twitter&amp;at_campaign_type=owned&amp;at_link_origin=BBCWorld&amp;at_campaign=Social_Flow&amp;at_format=link&amp;at_bbc_team=editorial&amp;at_medium=social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>cited by<\/a> the BBC, had his approval rating at just 15.5%.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-rand-paul-offers-dr-rachel-levine-as-example-of-radical-agenda-riding-bidens-coattails\/\" title=\"Sen. Rand Paul Offers Dr. Rachel Levine As Example Of Radical Agenda Riding Biden\u2019s Coattails\">upcoming presidential election<\/a>, it&rsquo;s necessary to show the people that the Liberal Democratic Party will change,&rdquo; Kishida said at a Wednesday press conference announcing his decision.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A transparent and open election and free and open debate are important. The first easy-to-understand step that indicates that the LDP will change is for me to step back,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>The LDP, which has ruled Japan since 1955, interrupted only by two brief interregnums, has been wracked by scandals in recent years. Two of the most recent involve connections to the controversial South Korean Unification Church, known more popularly as the Moonies, and campaign finance violations.<\/p>\n<p>Kishida&rsquo;s moves to pass legislation to reform campaign finance rules and attempt to dissolve the Japanese branch of the Unification Church failed to boost his declining popularity.<\/p>\n<p>The next leadership election will see the LDP&rsquo;s 1.1 million dues-paying members casting their votes for the next leader while the party&rsquo;s elected leaders will cast their own votes. Dues-paying members and elected lawmakers each get 50% of the vote in the contest.<\/p>\n<p>The leadership elections have been long dominated by powerful factions within the LDP, according to the <em>Associated Press<\/em>, though the main factions have dissolved themselves amid the recent finance scandals.<\/p>\n<p>Japan has become known for its <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/zerohedge\/status\/1823538635553100105\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>revolving-door<\/a> prime ministers, with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who ruled from 2012 to 2020, being the longest-serving in Japan&rsquo;s history. Kishida, though only holding power for under three years, is the eighth-longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Despite the instability, the LDP is unlikely to lose power in the next general election, with the opposition struggling to achieve significant electoral breakthroughs.<\/p>\n<p>In the postwar period, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, Japan&rsquo;s staggering economic growth gave rise to fears that it would one day surpass the United States. These fears disappeared following Japan&rsquo;s &ldquo;Lost Decade&rdquo; in the 1990s, when economic stagnation and other problems crippled growth to an extent that it hasn&rsquo;t recovered from since.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1641852\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1641852\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has declared that he will resign next month due to historically low approval ratings. His announcement came just days before the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was scheduled to reveal the date for its leadership election, which is mandated to occur in September. Although Kishida made strides in foreign policy, leveraging his background as foreign minister, he was perceived as ineffective in addressing pressing domestic issues such as a declining birth rate, a stagnant economy, and increasing national debt. A recent NHK poll indicated that Kishida&#8217;s approval rating had dropped by half since he took office, now standing at 25%, while another survey reported it at a mere 15.5%. At a press conference on Wednesday where he shared his decision, Kishida stated, &#8220;In the upcoming presidential election, it&#8217;s essential to demonstrate to the public that the LDP will undergo changes.&#8221; He emphasized the importance of an open and transparent election process and suggested that his stepping down would be a clear indication of change within the party.<\/p>\n<p>The LDP has been in power since 1955 with only brief interruptions and has faced numerous scandals recently. Two notable scandals involve ties to the controversial South Korean Unification Church (often referred to as Moonies) and violations related to campaign financing. Despite Kishida&#8217;s attempts at reforming campaign finance laws and dissolving Japan&#8217;s branch of the Unification Church, these efforts did not improve his waning popularity.<\/p>\n<p>In the upcoming leadership election, approximately 1.1 million dues-paying members of the LDP will vote alongside elected officials; both groups hold equal weight in determining their new leader. Historically dominated by influential factions within its ranks\u2014though many have disbanded amid recent financial controversies\u2014the LDP is expected to maintain its grip on power despite ongoing instability.<\/p>\n<p>Japan has seen frequent changes in prime ministers over recent years; former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe served from 2012 until 2020\u2014the longest tenure in Japanese history\u2014while Kishida ranks as one of Japan\u2019s longer-serving leaders despite being in office for less than three years. The opposition parties are struggling significantly against this backdrop and are unlikely to make substantial gains ahead of future elections. Following Japan\u2019s economic boom during postwar decades\u2014which sparked concerns about surpassing U.S. economic dominance\u2014those fears faded after what became known as Japan\u2019s \u201cLost Decade\u201d during the 1990s when prolonged stagnation severely hindered growth recovery<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2324406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/fumio-kishida-stepping-down.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[38058,38122,5894,6522,32076],"class_list":["post-2324405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-approval-ratings","tag-japanese-prime-minister","tag-politics","tag-resignation","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/fumio-kishida-stepping-down.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2324405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2324405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2324405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2324406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2324405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2324405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2324405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}