Japan PM Shigeru Ishiba holds on to driver s seat despite bruising election setback

TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been dismissed as a seat-warmer, as he leads a minority government whose Cabinet ratings have been in a perpetual slump since he took office in October 2024.

His ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) also suffered a historic rout at the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election on June 22. The poll is regarded as a bellwether for national politics, and a prelude to an Upper House election on July 20.

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