Komeito, which celebrated 60 years since its foundation on Sunday, is struggling to restore its self-set image as a clean, pacifist party after being tarnished by its quarter-century alliance with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The day before the 60th anniversary, new Komeito chief Tetsuo Saito told a news conference in Hiroshima that the party was "born to listen to common people's voices" and it now needs to "return to where it started so as to regain power."

In the Oct. 27 election for the House of Representatives, Komeito suffered a stunning defeat along with the coalition leader LDP, which has been facing strong public criticisms over its factions' long-standing practice of creating slush funds. Even the junior ruling party's head at the time, Keiichi Ishii, lost his Lower House seat. Saito succeeded Ishii as party leader earlier this month.