The Liberal Democratic Party, as the new embodiment of the opposition camp, wasted no time Wednesday in lashing out against the Democratic Party of Japan administration, grilling the Cabinet for lacking a long-term vision on national strategies and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's political funds scandal.
But the tactics occasionally backfired on the LDP, which was desperate to make an impression after finding itself in the opposition for only the second time in more than five decades.
"Who is responsible for creating this financial situation?" Hatoyama asked the Diet after being questioned by LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki on Japan's mounting deficit.