Newly elected Democratic Party of Japan President Yoshihiko Noda has to hit the ground running and quickly address such daunting issues as unifying his party's warring factions and winning the opposition's cooperation in rebuilding the devastated northeast.
Outgoing Prime Minister Naoto Kan pursued an openly confrontational path that split the DPJ into two rival camps — one backing former party chief Ichiro Ozawa and one opposed to the wily kingpin, who has been indicted over a political funding scandal.
Although the division runs deep, analysts say Kan's exit will clear the way for the two sides to reconcile their differences, especially since a general election must be held within the next two years.