Despite the Democratic Party of Japan's setback in the July 11 Upper House election, DPJ Deputy Secretary General Goshi Hosono defended the administration of Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Wednesday.
Speaking at The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo, Hosono said that while Kan's remarks on a possible consumption tax hike were considered one of the primary reasons for the DPJ's defeat, it was undesirable for the ruling party to replace its head frequently, as was the case in past administrations led by its main rival, the Liberal Democratic Party.
"If anyone is asked to take responsibility for the results, it should be the people, including myself, who were in power at the time," Hosono said.