And the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) still has two powerful weapons: its well-oiled machinery of patronage and the incoherence of the main opposition, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

• 与此同时，日本战后历时最长的经济持续增长也步履蹒跚，几近停滞。不管谁接任福田（麻生太郎呼声最高，他认为自己一年前就该继任首相），都会面临这些似乎无法解决的难题。