Shinzo Abe’s hope of becoming Japan’s longest serving PM is fading.
He continues to face allegations linking him and his wife to a right-wing organisation which appears to be hostile to China and South Korea.
Protests have been taking place outside his office in Tokyo.
But Mr Abe is good at escaping from problems: he might well find a way out of this one.
Read more on this week’s Japan Story blog.
Japan Story’s blog is written by former BBC Tokyo Correspondent Duncan Bartlett. Each week he analyses how Japan’s story is being told to the world through the international media.