BALANCED FOREIGN TIES
On foreign policy, the DPJ has states that it aims to maintain a "more equal" relationship with the United States, while deepening ties with Asia. To this end, Japan-China relations have significantly warmed since the DPJ came to power.
This month, a visit to Japan by China's Vice President Xi Jinping culminated in a meeting with the emperor in Tokyo, highlighting how much ties between the nations have warmed.
"Relations with China have dramatically improved, the DPJ is basically not doing any of the stupid things the LDP did," says Kingston. "It wasn't that difficult. If you look at the Chinese leadership, they are rational people, and the fact that you have the DPJ dealing with them in a rational way and handling history in a mutually acceptable way, which has led a lot of people to admire the (DPJ)."
Meanwhile, the handling of a decision on the relocation of U.S. troops now based in Okinawa has seen the party look indecisive, with a decision on what to do about an agreement signed by Washington and Tokyo under former administrations delayed by the DPJ until May next year.
Analysts were careful to point out that strains in U.S.-Japan ties are being exaggerated by some sections of the media, but there is no doubting the issue has damaged the party's image in the public eye. On the issue, Nakano says "it has left the public with doubts about the party's abilities."
PARTY OVER?
Meanwhile, 2009 has been a very difficult year for the LDP, with the party losing 177 seats in summer elections, replacing its leader and finding itself elected into the minority in both houses of parliament for the first time in its history.
The problems for the party do not stop there, analysts argue, citing a lack of up-and-coming politicians in the party to replace the current senior figures.
In a leadership election in September, after the resignation of party president Taro Aso, Sadakazu Tanigaki emerged victorious, amid bitter criticism from rival Taro Kono that a third candidate Yasutoshi Nishimura was fielded to break up the "young" vote. Tanigaki is a veteran lawmaker and was aged 64 at the time of the LDP vote, while both Kono and Nishimura were aged 46.
With an election for the upper house coming up in the summer of next year, the party needs to attempt to reconnect with the voters that judged them so harshly in the August vote.
FUNDING SCANDAL
Overshadowing the politics for both the opposition and government is a scandal that first emerged in January. Nishimatsu Construction Co. was alleged to have made illegal donations to several senior politicians, including then-leader of the DPJ Ichiro Ozawa.
In May, Ozawa resigned from his post as leader of the DPJ as the scandal played out, and in December, senior LDP figure Toshihiro Nikai resigned from his post within the party to take responsibility for funds he received from Nishimatsu.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has also seen his image tainted in a separate affair. The prime minister allegedly received more than 1 billion yen (11 million U.S. dollars) from his mother between 2002 and 2008, as well as another 300 million yen (3.5 million U.S. dollars) from other sources, which were credited to fictitious donors. Donations from individuals in Japan are not supposed to exceed 1.5 million yen.
Kingston says the scandals are evidence that not "all of the old-style politics has disappeared" in Japan.
Over the coming months, the judgments of prosecutors and the way that politicians in both the government and opposition will be key to how the public views not only the rival parties, but also politics as a whole in Japan.
Special report: Yearender 2009
