It came as a shock to many in Japan, but some were expecting it. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga proved those people right who were predicting that he will throw in the towel.

Suga announced on Friday that he will not stand for the leadership of his Liberal Democratic Party in the upcoming race. It is generally considered that whoever leads the party will rule the country if the party wins the elections.

After a meeting at his party, Suga said he was not running because he wanted to "focus on coronavirus measures" and that campaigning would take the eye of the crisis. That may be a good excuse, but many would agree that it is probably the alleged mishandling of the virus that was responsible for Suga's downfall. [https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/09/03/national/politics-diplomacy/suga-ldp-race/]

And the writing on the wall has been there for some time.

It's been only a year since he took over the country's prime minister, but it's been a treacherous one for Suga. His cabinet's approval ratings have shown no signs of rising, with multiple polls saying that the popularity stands at just around 30 percent range. His party, the LDP has also been on a losing streak in various by-elections in recent times. To top it, his adamant refusal to cancel or postpone the Tokyo Olympics amid a rising number of coronavirus cases started going against him. [https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/09/03/national/politics-diplomacy/suga-ldp-race/]

Suga was unpopular even before the Olympics. Some observers say that Suga's strategy was to hold successful Games and then hold elections immediately thereafter. But he was plumbing the depths even after the Games. He had always claimed that he was keen for a rerun. [https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/17/national/politics-diplomacy/suga-ldp-presidential-election/]

With a majority of Japanese saying that they wouldn't like to see Suga return to power when the elections are held in October, Suga may have taken an honourable exit rather than face humiliation at the hustings.

Read more:

News report:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58405212

The year in office:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/02/world/asia/japan-suga-resign-election.html