Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's fate remained unclear Wednesday amid reports — which he denied — that he would resign his post at the end of next month.
“Nothing that has been reported is true,” Ishiba told reporters Wednesday afternoon, hours after Japan and the United States reached a surprise trade agreement
Some media outlets had reported Ishiba was poised to announce his resignation in the coming weeks, with the prime minister telling close advisers he had made a decision, three days after his Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition lost a majority in an Upper House election.
“I’ll do my best to make sure that people’s livelihood is protected,” Ishiba told reporters in reference to the tariff agreement, after an unusual meeting at party headquarters with three former prime ministers — Taro Aso, Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida.
Ishiba said the party heavyweights had shared a common awareness that the party is at a critical juncture, and that it must stay unified. The prime minister said his current standing was not discussed.
Ishiba had cited the tariff negotiations with Washington as one of the key factors behind his decision to stay in his post following the poor election showing.
But pressure is now mounting within the ruling LDP to oust Ishiba and potentially elect a new leader.
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