Last Christmas, then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama led the Democratic Party of Japan into its first ordinary Diet session, telling reporters he wanted to give the public a "sense of hope" as a gift and vowing "tangible results" to improve their livelihoods.
But with a pile of bills left untouched and the ruling bloc in tatters following policy clashes, experts said the 150-day session that wrapped up Wednesday turned out to be a disaster that betrayed the public's hopes for a change in politics.
"It was a continual process of trial and error for the DPJ," said Yasuharu Ishizawa, professor of politics and media at Gakushuin Women's College.