A two-party political system involving the now ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Japan might not be far off, given the DPJ's strong gains in recent elections.
But when DPJ leader Katsuya Okada pledged to bring about a regime change, few people took him seriously. Many asked: Can the DPJ pull it off without the help of New Komeito, the third-largest force in the Diet?
New Komeito, the junior coalition partner of the LDP, is mainly backed by lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai, which boasts a membership of 8.21 million households.