Anatomy of a Japanese party before polls

Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa finally announced his resignation on Monday. Had he acted sooner, we believe, his party would have managed to cut its losses.

In the two months since Ozawa's state-paid aide was arrested in early March in connection with suspected illegal donations from Nishimatsu Construction Co., public opinion demanding Ozawa's resignation grew increasingly severe. Public ire even helped raise the approval ratings of the abysmally unpopular Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso.

Recouping not easy