TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan told his cabinet ministers on Tuesday that they are likely to resign on August 30, Japanese Economics Minister Kaoru Yosano said on Tuesday. ?

The unpopular prime minister's comments effectively confirmed his intention to resign in coming days, clearing the way for Japan to select its sixth prime minister since Junichiro Koizumi ended a rare five-year term in 2006.

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan is planning to pick a new leader on August 29, setting the stage for parliamentary confirmation of a new premier and the selection of a new cabinet.

Yosano also told a news conference that the government needs to devise steps to cope with the negative effects of the yen rise in the coming third supplementary budget for this fiscal year.