Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party appears to be fighting an uphill battle to remain in that powerful post as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prepares to reshuffle his Cabinet in September — as well as the top posts of the party that he heads.
Ishiba's efforts to remain loyal to Abe seem to have proven counterproductive in Abe's eyes, as there are growing signs the LDP will end up losing three consecutive gubernatorial elections — in Shiga, Fukushima and Okinawa.
On July 13, Taizo Mikazuki, a former Lower House member of the No. 1 opposition Democratic Party of Japan, defied predictions and won the Shiga gubernatorial race, defeating Takashi Koyari, who was backed by the LDP and its coalition partner New Komeito.