Japan’s LDP Leadership Battle Reveals Fragile Governance Amid Rising Global Threats

Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the mainstay of Japanese politics for decades, now faces a critical juncture as it scrambles to elect a new leader following Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s abrupt resignation. This leadership turmoil arrives at a time when Tokyo confronts mounting challenges from an increasingly aggressive China, uncompromising U.S. tariff policies, and unsettling populist forces gaining ground domestically. Why Does Japan's Political Instability Matter to America? While this political drama unfolds thousands of miles away, its consequences extend directly into America’s strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific region. An unsettled Japanese government risks weakening one of the United States’...