As the leader of the world's third-largest economy battles an acute crisis of confidence, questions over his future and his namesake economic program loom large.
Public backlash over suspected cronyism on the part of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pushed support for the 62 year-old to under 30 percent — his lowest level ever.
Since May, the Liberal Democratic Party head has been accused of helping Kake Gakuen, an educational institution headed by a longtime friend of Abe's, win approval for a veterinary school in a special economic zone. The PM has denied granting any favors but the affair — his second school scandal this year — still cost the ruling LDP a historic defeat in July's Tokyo assembly election.
Abe's popularity has also been weighed down by general disillusionment with his leadership and issues at the defense ministry: Last week, former Defense Minister Tomomi Inada resigned over concerns she helped conceal records that exposed the dangers faced by Japanese peacekeepers in South Sudan.