Sep 07, Kathmandu - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to resign.

Ishiba decided to resign after members of the ruling party suffered defeat in the upper house elections.

The move comes less than a year after Ishiba, 68, took the helm of the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has lost its majority in both houses of parliament.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that Ishiba had decided to resign to save the party from splitting, while daily Asahi Simbun reported that pressure was mounting on him to resign.

On Saturday night, the agriculture minister and a former prime minister met with Ishiba and urged him to resign voluntarily.

Just last week, four senior LDP officials, including the party's number two leader Hiroshi Moriyama, also proposed his resignation.

Following the Upper House election in July, Ishiba's opponents have been pressing him to step down, claiming responsibility for the election defeat.

Now, LDP lawmakers and regional officials across Japan will submit requests for a new leadership election.

If the required majority is achieved, a leadership contest will begin within the party.