Back when it was still in the opposition camp, the Democratic Party of Japan used to criticize the then ruling Liberal Democratic Party for its frequent shuffling of prime ministers, without an election.
Then came Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's sudden resignation announcement after only being in office some eight months since his party won last summer's general election in a historic landslide, sending the LDP packing. No general election will precede the choice of his successor as well.
While his resignation and DPJ kingpin Ichiro Ozawa's departure from the party's No. 2 post are sending ripples through the turbulent political arena, experts agree that the exit of the two most powerful and controversial figures in the party could provide the DPJ with a much-needed boost ahead of the July Upper House election.