The move is seen as an attempt to avoid a split within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which lost its upper house majority in an election in July.

Potential successors include one-time Shigeru Ishiba rival Sanae Takaichi and Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on Sunday he will step down following growing calls from his party to take responsibility for a historic defeat in July’s parliamentary election.