Prime Minister Naoto Kan marked 267 days in office on Tuesday, surpassing the term of his predecessor, Yukio Hatoyama, to give him at least one cause for cheer amid the difficulties he faces in dealing with the divided Diet and his own fractious party.
Kan assumed the prime minister's position on June 8 last year after fellow Democratic Party of Japan member Hatoyama resigned over his failure to resolve the Futenma base issue in Okinawa.