Naoto Kan, 52, was reinstalled Monday as leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, defeating Shigefumi Matsuzawa, 40, at a DPJ convention.
In balloting by the party's 145 Diet members and 94 regional representatives, Kan captured 180 votes against 51 cast for Matsuzawa, who was mainly supported by the party's younger Diet members.
Although Kan's victory had been widely expected, because of the strong backing he has received from key DPJ Diet members, including Deputy Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama and Secretary General Tsutomu Hata, Matsuzawa managed to get more votes than expected. "We've fought (the election) after thorough discussions and under fair procedures. From now on, we'll fight against a new enemy," Kan said after the party election.