Japan's incoming Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader will face mounting pressure, as the party is seeing frequent leadership changes and a weakening political base, according to Norihiko Narita, an honorary professor at Surugadai University. The ruling party LDP held its presidential election Saturday to select a successor to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who recently announced his resignation. The new-elected party chief Sanae Takaichi is expected to take over as the next prime minister. With shrinking seats in both houses of the parliament, rebuilding political stability has become a pressing and central issue for the incoming LDP leader, said Narita. As the coalition formed by the LDP and its ruling partner Komeito has lost the majority in both houses of the parliament, which makes multiparty cooperation a necessity. The upcoming extraordinary Diet session will be a critical moment for selecting new partners and reshaping the government, said Narita. Shotlist: Tokyo, Japan - Recent: 1. Various of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headquarters; signs reading "Liberal Democratic Party"; 2. Board showing LDP presidential election; 3. Flags; Tokyo, Japan - Oct 1, 2025 4. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Norihiko Narita, honorary professor, Surugadai University (partially overlaid with shot 5): "Japan is currently facing immediate challenges, such as soaring prices, as well as long-term predicament, like population decline and economic recession. In addition, there are political concerns. How to ensure political stability is also a critically important issue. Thus, the current political situation in Japan is marked by the coexistence of both short-term and long-term challenges, with social and political problems deeply intertwined. A wide range of challenges are coming one after another." [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]; Tokyo, Japan - Recent 5. Various of pedestrians, traffic [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]; 6. Various of LDP signs; 7. Various of National Diet building; Tokyo, Japan - Oct 1, 2025 8. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Norihiko Narita, honorary professor, Surugadai University (partially overlaid with shots 9-10): "The general view is that during the supplementary budget discussions, a party out of office may first express support, signaling the willingness to cooperate. Then, by early next year, either before or after the regular Diet session convenes, a new coalition government is expected to take shape. For over two decades, the LDP has formed a two-party coalition with Komeito, and such a bipartite coalition has reached its limits. Therefore, a third party must join in to form a tripartite coalition. The question is how long such a three-party coalition can last. For example, Komeito is losing seats and its influence is declining. Even if the Japan Innovation Party, which is also experiencing a downturn, is brought in, the three-party coalition may not last in the long run." [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]; Tokyo, Japan - Recent 9. LDP headquarters; 10. Various of National Diet building; signs showing "House of Representatives" "House of Councillors" [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]; 11. Various of pedestrians, traffic. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]