Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba managed to survive 2024 following his Liberal Democratic Party’s loss of a majority in the Oct. 27 Lower House election, which forced him to work with opposition parties to secure passage of a supplementary budget.

To remain as prime minister in 2025, however, Ishiba will have to pass three tests that require deft use of his political and diplomatic negotiating skills.

First, he must get cooperation from at least one opposition party to ensure passage of the 2025 fiscal year budget.