A humorous speech by Yoshihiko Noda, in which he compares himself to a "dojo" loach, apparently resonated with his Democratic Party of Japan colleagues who voted him in as DPJ president Monday and ensured the following day he would be the next prime minister.

Native to Asia, the eel-like freshwater fish prefers dark habitats and burrows into mud and sand to conceal itself.

In his speech prior to the DPJ presidential vote Monday, Noda described his own political style by citing his favorite poem, by Mitsuo Aida, "A loach does not have to emulate a goldfish."