New Delhi, Sept. 9 -- The jockeying for a new prime minister began on Monday as outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's beleaguered long-governing Liberal Democratic Party struggles to stay in office as Japan faces challenges such as U.S. tariffs, an increasingly assertive China and growing populism at home.

On Sunday, Ishiba announced that he would resign as head of the LDP and eventually prime minister to take responsibility for the historic loss in the summer parliamentary election, making way for his successor to be chosen in a party leadership race now expected in early October.

The party wrangling and Ishiba's departure after just one year in office underscores Japan's political uncertainty.

Next step

Ishiba's resignation annou...