The current political crisis is the result of a July 20 election in Japan’s upper house, the less-powerful chamber in parliament. It has no direct role in determining the prime minister but is an indicator of political fortunes in a country where the foundation of individual leaders is generally unstable, even as the ruling party remains solid.

Following dismal results in Japan’s parliamentary elections, there is a broad consensus among Japanese lawmakers and political analysts that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s days are numbered. No one, however, seems to have said that directly to Ishiba, who has vowed to stay on .

Following dismal results in Japan’s parliamentary elections, there is a broad consensus among Japanese lawmakers and political analysts that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s days are numbered. No one, however, seems to have said that directly to Ishiba, who has vowed to stay on.

The current political crisis is the result of a July 20 election in Japan’s upper house, the less-powerful chamber in parliament. It has no direct role in determining the prime minister but is an indicator of political fortunes in a country where the foundation of individual leaders is generally unstable, even as the ruling party remains solid.

Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has been in power for 64 of the past 70 years since its founding in 1955, lost its majority—even with the added support of