Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of Japan Says He Will Step Down NYT | Top Stories River Akira Davis and Kiuko Notoya 7 September 2025 at 17:23 The embattled leader is trying to head off a deep split in his party over a right-wing political surge, a weakened economy and turbulent trade relations with the United States. © Yuichi Yamazaki/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesPrime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of Japan has been under intense pressure from within his own party to step down.