The longtime chairman of the ultranationalist group Zaitokukai has announced he will step down and even give up his membership in the group, saying the move will eventually bolster the organization's influence.

Makoto Sakurai, whose real name is Makoto Takada, said during a program streamed online on Tuesday that he has decided not to run in Zaitokukai's biennial leadership election, which is currently underway. He has been chairman of the group for eight years.

His successor, Sakurai said, will likely be Yasuhiro Yagi, who is currently the group's deputy chairman and the only candidate running in the election.