Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba declared his intention to remain in office despite mounting pressure from within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to resign after its setback in the July 20 upper house elections. Ishiba emphasized in an interview with national broadcaster NHK, “I intend to devote myself to the people and the future of the country,” and underscored his duty to implement the recently announced US-Japan trade deal. The election loss marked a historic shift—the LDP lost its majority in the upper house, the first such instance since 1955. Ishiba is scheduled to address LDP lawmakers later today, amid calls for someone to take responsibility for the defeat. While media reports last week suggested Ishiba was preparing to step down, he promptly refuted the claims. Asked if he had reconsidered his decision to stay, he responded with a clear “no.”