It has been a miserable month for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Going into October, he was already facing downward trending public approval and a Cabinet reshuffle that failed to buy him back any political capital. The blows kept coming this month, ranging from a weak showing by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in by-elections to criticism of his tax plan, a scandal-driven resignation, and intraparty discontent that spilled out onto the floor of parliament.
Although each blow was not game-changing by itself, the cumulative weight of everything together continues to drag down the Kishida administration. For observers of Japanese politics, it is useful to track these developments because they will impact policy decision-making in the administration and will have ripple effects in the political landscape.