Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, whose outspoken nationalism has often angered neighboring China, says he is resigning to form a new political party ahead of a general election.
Ishihara told a news conference Thursday he plans to run for parliament in the elections, which must be called by August. He was a parliamentarian for the Liberal Democratic Party before serving nearly 14 years as governor of Japan's largest city.
The 80-year-old novelist-turned-politician is known for his far-right political views, including his opposition to Japan's pacifist World War II-era constitution.
Earlier this year, he angered Beijing by threatening to buy and develop a group of islands claimed by both Japan and China. Analysts say the move forced Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to nationalize some of the islands, which led to a serious deterioration in China-Japan relations.