Japan has seen three prime ministers in five years - who could be its new leader after Shigeru Ishiba??

Japan's next leader will face the challenge of steering a much weakened government.

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His resignation came a day before opponents in his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) were expected to vote him out.

His departure sets the stage for yet another ruling party leadership contest in Tokyo, the third in five years. That is apart from two national elections - neither of the winners completed their term.

But the country's future leader now faces a daunting task - balancing fraught US-Japan relations, rising inflation and a cost of living crisis, and a government that has lost its majority in both houses of parliament.

In 2020, Yoshihide Suga - who was previously the party's Chief Cabinet Secretary - stepped up to the role after the surprise resignation of the late Shinzo Abe, who had stepped down due to health issues.