Instability can cut short tenures of future Japanese leaders

As Japan prepares for a special parliamentary session on Monday to elect a new leader, experts have warned of the possibility of "revolving door" leadership in the country for a period of time with an electoral deadlock leading to political instability and triggering intense maneuvers among different political parties. Leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and incumbent Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to meet with leader of junior coalition partner Komeito on Saturday, the right-leaning Japan Innovation Party head on Sunday, and leaders of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People on Monday, according to Jiji Press. Tatsumi cautioned that Japan could revert to a "revolving door" era of prime ministers, casting a shadow of uncertainty on the long-term policies established over a decade ago by late former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Wang Xinsheng, a professor of history at Peking University, noted that the possibility of Japan's Innovation Party joining the ruling coalition remains open, depending on the course of ongoing negotiations.