After an election that saw only eight of its 44 candidates win seats in Sunday's Upper House election, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) leaders were stressing the need for a unified opposition against the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling coalition.
With talk of either Nippon Ishin founder and co-leader Toru Hashimoto or co-leader Shintaro Ishihara stepping down to take responsibility for the party's drubbing, all eyes are now on what Nippon Ishin's executive committee will decide when it meets Saturday to determine the fates of the two and the current leadership structure.
Nippon Ishin scored its biggest victory of the night in its Kansai base. Senior party member and Osaka Prefectural Assembly member Toru Azuma, 46, won an Osaka district seat with over 1 million votes.