Komeito's Natsuo Yamaguchi says to step down as junior coalition party head

Natsuo Yamaguchi, the head of the junior coalition partner of Japan's ruling party for the past 15 years, said Tuesday he is stepping down as Komeito party chief without seeking another term.The 72-year-old upper house member has been at the helm of the traditionally pacifist party through a period in which Japan has undergone major changes in defense and security policies under recent Liberal Democratic Party prime ministers while riding out economic challenges such as the impact of COVID-19.Komeito Secretary General Keiichi Ishii, 66, is expected to be endorsed at the party's convention o…READ FULL ARTICLE