In the seven months Prime Minister Naoto Kan has been in office he has defeated Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa in the party's presidential election, dealt with an aggressive and confrontational China over the Senkaku Islands row and repaired ties with the United States that were damaged by his predecessor, Yukio Hatoyama.
But Kan may soon discover this was just a warmup for what lies in store in 2011.
If Kan wants to buck the trend of short-lived administrations during the past five years, he needs to survive at least three key political challenges.