Shinji Ishimaru, head of The Path to Rebirth, said Wednesday that he will step down as leader of the Japanese political group.
Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Ishimaru said his successor will be announced on Sept. 16 after a leadership election. He also said that he will leave the group.
Ishimaru said he wants to continue being involved in politics in some way, adding that he may seek to run for office as a candidate for The Path to Rebirth in the future.
Ishimaru, a former mayor of Akitakata, Hiroshima Prefecture, was the runner-up in last year's Tokyo gubernatorial election. He launched The Path to Rebirth in January and became its leader.
The group fielded candidates for elections for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly and the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of the country's parliament, earlier this year, but none were successful.
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