With 120 members belonging to his faction, Ozawa still wields decisive influence to make or unmake the government led by the DPJ.

Significant policy differences between the DPJ and LDP and New Komeito’s unwillingness to lose its identity will prevent the formation of a grand coalition.

The increasing debate after the Fukushima crisis has undermined the recent renaissance of nuclear power and is likely to usher in greater regulation and stringent safety measures, making alternative sources of energy cheaper and therefore more appealing.

The summit ended with the hope of increased cooperation in East Asia, bolstered popular support for Sino-Japanese friendship, and set out a strategy for maintaining regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Wikileaks cables reveal a secret pact in which the Hatoyama administration agreed to honour the 2006 agreement on the relocation of Futenma if the US were to reject the proposed alternative.

If the political infighting continues, Japan will be left rudderless and the gigantic task of reconstruction will get complicated.

After the threat level for the Fukushima plant was raised from 5 to 7, Japan’s claims about the situation getting stabilised are being received with a degree of scepticism.

In the wake of Fukushima Japan may place greater emphasis on LNG and renewable sources of energy like solar and hydro power.