Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda abruptly announced Monday night he will resign.
Calling an emergency news conference, Fukuda said he came to the conclusion that a new leader would be better able to deal with the divided Diet in which the ruling coalition has found it difficult to pass its legislative agenda.
During the last Diet session, the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc repeatedly collided head-on with the opposition parties that control the Upper House.