Prime Minister Naoto Kan's weakened political clout has further deepened widespread concern over the country's apparent inability to contain its swelling national debt and deliver urgently needed funding to the disaster-hit areas, economists said Thursday.
Earlier in the day, a no-confidence motion against Kan was rejected following his announcement that he will step down once the government has firmly established postquake reconstruction efforts and an end to the Fukushima nuclear crisis is in sight.
But Kan has lost significant sway within his own party, as many followers of Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa, Kan's foe, supported the opposition attempt to oust him.