Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Abe Shinzo resign as Japan’s prime minister in 2020?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
In August 2020, Shinzo Abe announced his resignation as prime minister of Japan due to a recurrence of ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.12
Following his announcement, he remained in office in a caretaker capacity until his successor was chosen. On September 14, 2020, Yoshihide Suga—who had served as Abe’s chief cabinet secretary—was elected as the new leader of the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) and formally succeeded Abe as prime minister two days later.12