The Democratic Party leadership race is effectively on as deputy leader Renho has announced her candidacy to take over from outgoing chief Katsuya Okada in the September vote by the party's members and supporters. Media surveys show that Renho, a popular lawmaker who was re-elected to her Upper House seat with the largest number of votes won by any candidate in the Tokyo constituency at 1.12 million, is far ahead of her colleagues as the person deemed most suited to lead the top opposition party. Rival forces in the party meanwhile are struggling to field a viable contender, and there are reports that members close to the current leadership — who are believed to support Renho — may be maneuvering to make her the uncontested choice.

The next DP leader needs to set a new path for a party that has struggled to regain the support of voters since its predecessor's crushing fall from power in 2012. The party's performance in the Upper House election last month — though better than in the previous race three years ago — cast doubt on whether it is on course to again become an opposition leader that can serve as an alternative to the governing coalition. The choice of its new chief should be based on an honest assessment of the party's track record since 2012 and a vision on how it plans to rebuild itself going forward. A lack of competition in the selection of the new leadership will certainly not contribute to such efforts.

Since the Democratic Party of Japan fell from its 2009-2012 stint in power, the party has been no match for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition in both Diet business and in key elections. The July 10 Upper House race was the first nationwide election since the party was renamed the Democratic Party in a merger with the smaller opposition Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) in March.