🔗 Share this article Japan set to elect female prime minister in historic first In the past twenty years, Japan has had more than 10 prime ministers. Actually, one expert likens assuming the country's highest office to drinking from a "poisoned chalice". But why does Japan keep changing leaders? This is partly because of it being a "one-party democracy", says Prof James Brown of Temple University in Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party's control on the political landscape means the primary rivalry comes from within the party, rather than from opposition groups. "Therefore inside the LDP there are vicious struggles within different factions - they all desire their own clique to secure the top job." "Thus although you might be chosen as leader, the moment you're in office, you have many individuals manoeuvring to try to remove you again." Key Factors Behind Rapid Turnover Single-party rule limits outside challenges Internal factional rivalries drive power struggles The prime minister's position is frequently called a "cursed position" Government continuity stays difficult to achieve despite economic strength