Japan’s ruling party is in crisis as voters swing to right-wing rivals. Can a new leader save it?

Tokyo —

Japan’s ruling party is in trouble, and it knows it.

The country is rife with political instability, having cycled through four prime ministers in the last five years – all members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

And while the LDP has ruled Japan almost continuously for the last 30 years, it’s now in a precarious position as it prepares to vote for a new party leader on Saturday – mired in scandal, widely unpopular, and abandoned by longtime supporters who have instead flocked to new right-wing parties.

The next party leader could very well become the country’s next prime minister, but even that’s not guaranteed; voters delivered a clear rebuke in the past two parliamentary elections, delivering seats to opposition parties and stripping the LDP of its majority.