In Sunday's Upper House election — the first national poll that the ruling Democratic Party of Japan has contested under the leadership of Prime Minister Naoto Kan — voters demonstrated their lack of faith in the DPJ by taking away the ruling coalition's majority in the chamber of the Diet.
The divided Diet will make Japan's political situation more unstable. Every political party should set aside petty issues and instead place priority on finding solutions to the nation's serious economic, fiscal and social welfare problems.
Apparently buoyed by his Cabinet's high approval rating soon after its formation, Mr. Kan seemed to have believed that his party would do well in the election. But he stumbled seriously by failing to present voters with persuasive proposals.