In Sunday's much-heralded gubernatorial election in Nagano Prefecture, former reformist Gov. Yasuo Tanaka made a triumphant comeback, dealing a heavy blow to anti-Tanaka forces and other conservative hardliners who have vehemently opposed his popular campaign against dam construction and other pork-barrel projects.

The popular writer lost the Nagano governorship two months ago when the prefecture's predominantly conservative assembly passed a no-confidence vote against him, blaming him for being "dogmatic and thoughtless." Tanaka's re-election he was first elected in October 2000 means that he has won a fresh mandate from an overwhelming majority of Nagano voters.

This is not to say, however, that the simmering feud between Tanaka and the assembly has ended once and for all. In appearance at least, the two sides are back to square one. Absent a legislative election, the assembly's makeup remains unchanged, and the issues at the core of the dispute, including what to do with dam projects, have yet to be resolved. Mending fences won't be easy.