Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on Sunday that he will step down as the head of the Liberal Democratic Party, amid growing calls for him to take responsibility for the party-led ruling coalition's election setback in both houses of parliament.

日本首相石破茂于周日宣布，将辞去自民党总裁一职。此前，因自民党主导的执政联盟在国会参众两院选举中遭遇挫折，要求其承担责任的呼声日益高涨。

Addressing a news conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Ishiba said he has "made the painful decision to resign despite still having unfinished tasks", emphasizing that the LDP must undergo genuine renewal and remain a tolerant and inclusive force.

在东京首相官邸举行的记者会上，石破茂表示，尽管仍有未竟之事，但他已“做出辞职这一艰难决定”。他强调，自民党必须实现真正的革新，始终保持包容开放的姿态。

He added that he would not stand as a candidate in the expected LDP leadership election triggered by his resignation.

他还补充称，在其辞职后预计将举行的自民党总裁选举中，自己不会作为候选人参选。

Ishiba's announcement came a day before the LDP was scheduled to decide whether to hold an early party leadership election, which would essentially be demanding his resignation, according to Japanese media platform Nikkei Asia.

据日本媒体《日经亚洲评论》报道，自民党原计划于次日就是否提前举行总裁选举作出决定，而这一选举本质上等同于要求石破茂辞职。此次石破茂宣布辞职，恰在该计划之前。

It also followed a formal agreement reached on Thursday with the administration of United States President Donald Trump on 15 percent reciprocal tariffs on Japanese exports to the US.

此外，就在此前的周四，日本政府与美国前总统唐纳德・特朗普政府就日本输美商品相互征收15%关税达成正式协议，石破茂此次辞职也发生在这一背景之下。

At Sunday's news conference, Ishiba said he had long considered tariff negotiations with the US a responsibility of his administration. With the signing of a memorandum of understanding last week, Ishiba said the negotiations reached a milestone, which made him decide to make way for his successor.

在周日的记者会上，石破茂表示，长期以来，他一直将与美国的关税谈判视为本届政府的重要职责。他指出，上周双方签署相关谅解备忘录，标志着谈判取得阶段性成果，这也促使他决定为继任者让路。

In September 2024, Ishiba was elected president of the LDP for a term of three years. In October last year, the LDP and its junior coalition partner, the Komeito, lost their majority in the House of Representatives, the lower house of the National Diet of Japan. In July this year, the ruling coalition also lost its majority in the House of Councillors, or the upper house.

2024年9月，石破茂当选自民党总裁，任期为三年。去年10月，自民党与其执政联盟伙伴公明党在日本国会众议院（下议院）选举中失去多数席位；今年7月，该执政联盟又在国会参议院（上议院）选举中丧失多数优势。

In postwar Japan, the head of the LDP — the country's dominant political force since the party's founding in 1955 — has almost always become the prime minister, because the party commands the largest share of seats in the Diet. When an LDP president resigns or is replaced, the post of prime minister typically changes hands as well.

在战后日本政治格局中，自民党自1955年成立以来一直是日本政坛的主导力量。由于该党在国会中占据最多席位，自民党总裁几乎始终能出任日本首相。因此，当自民党总裁辞职或被替换时，日本首相职位通常也会随之更迭。

According to the LDP's rules, a new leadership election can be held before the incumbent president's term expires. A majority of LDP members in the Diet and a majority of representatives in the LDP's prefectural branches can jointly request an election for a new president.

根据自民党党章规定，在现任总裁任期届满前，可提前举行总裁选举。只要自民党在国会中的议员多数与该党都道府县支部代表多数联合提出申请，即可启动新总裁选举程序。

Following Ishiba's formal resignation announcement, the LDP is expected to hold an extraordinary executive meeting on Monday morning, at which it will likely decide to cancel the submission of documents for an early party leadership election, according to TBS News, a commercial broadcasting company based in Tokyo.

据东京商业广播公司TBS新闻报道，在石破茂正式宣布辞职后，自民党预计将在周一上午召开临时执行会议，会上可能会决定不再提交提前举行总裁选举的相关文件。

The Associated Press reported that the LDP is expected to set a date for a party leadership election, likely to be held in early October.

另据美联社报道，自民党有望确定总裁选举的具体日期，选举大概率将于10月初举行。