Kan's woeful legacy

Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan offered his resignation on Friday, paving the way for a third Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) leader to lead the country in less than two years and overall the seventh in five years. Kan's successor is likely to be chosen on Aug 29.

Kan had been under constant fire for his slow response to the nuclear radiation crisis, which was triggered by the deadly earthquake-caused tsunami on March 11. Apart from the triple disaster, Japan has also been facing other problems, such as a colossal public debt and disputes with neighboring countries over maritime borders since Kan took office in June 2010.

But his resignation will not solve Japan's problems. Instead, his successor will keep battling with them both on the internal and external fronts. Post-disaster reconstruction, rehabilitation of people, and cleaning up of radiation-affected areas will be the biggest challenge for Kan's successor.