Amid the chaos breaking out in Nagata-cho since Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced his intention to resign, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan is once again seeking to form a grand coalition with its long-time conservative foe, the Liberal Democratic Party.
The LDP dominated politics for about five decades until the DPJ dethroned it just two years ago. Although the idea of forming an alliance between the ruling and the opposition camps has been floated many times in the past — most recently by the DPJ — each attempt ended in failure.
Some political observers have criticized the idea as a slap in the face to the public, which finally gathered enough resolve to oust the LDP and change what has essentially been one-party rule.