Last night, Japan’s “new” Prime Minister became their Ex-Prime Minister. More:

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announced on Monday night that he would resign, abruptly ending his chronically unpopular government after just a year and leaving Japan’s governing party scrambling to find fresh leadership ahead of crucial national elections.

Fukuda’s surprise announcement, made at a hastily called news conference, stunned Japan and appeared to plunge the world’s second largest economy into further political confusion.

Although there is no official word on who will be the next Prime Minister, Business Week and the Guardian both believe that the front-runner is Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Taro Aso.

Although little is expected to change in terms of policy — the ruling party has not changed — one never knows, particularly with elections in the lower house of the Diet (their lawmaking body) next year. If the goal is to reposition the party to maintain control, all bets are off.