Japan Deserves Far Better Leadership Than This
After weeks of speculation, Shigeru Ishiba is finally stepping down. Has the embattled ruling party learned its lesson?
Japan’s revolving door of leaders.
Photographer: Toru Hanai/Bloomberg
Japan’s ruling bloc was desperate. Hammered by scandals and sinking ratings, the Liberal Democratic Party gambled on a new leader less than a year ago. They chose Shigeru Ishiba. And to quote what Michael Caine’s Alfred Pennyworth said of the Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight, in their desperation they turned to a man they didn’t fully understand.
Ishiba, who after weeks of speculation announced his resignation on Sunday, is no Joker. But he will be remembered as something of a punchline — and his time in power one of tumult that has threatened to reduce the country’s international standing at a moment of global transformation.