Opposition party threatened last week to submit no-confidence motion against Shigeru Ishiba
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba may dissolve parliament if the opposition submits a no-confidence motion against him, local media reported Tuesday.
Ishiba, whose coalition is in the minority in the lower house of parliament, could take the move before any no-confidence motion is put to a vote in the House of Representatives, according to Kyodo News Agency.
The LDP-Komeito coalition currently holds 215 seats in the House of Representatives, short of the 233 needed to pass legislation in the 465-seat chamber.
Last week, the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan threatened to submit a no-confidence motion against Ishiba if the ruling coalition attempted to pass a proposed pension reform plan.
According to Japanese law, elections for the House of Representatives can be held at any time before the four-year term of the current members expires in the fall of 2028.
Ishiba's government is facing several challenges, including inflation, rice price hikes and US tariff measures.
Last month, Agriculture Minister Taku Eto resigned following a backlash over comments he made about rice. He faced criticism over his admission that he "never had to buy rice" thanks to gifts from supporters.
The Japanese public is struggling with soaring rice prices.
On US tariff measures, Japan has urged Washington to reconsider its tariff policy, which includes a 25% import duty on cars.
While a 24% reciprocal tariff has been put on hold, the US is still imposing a 10% baseline tariff along with levies targeting steel and aluminum.
