TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s fractious ruling party resumed its bickering on Friday after Prime Minister Naoto Kan hinted he wanted to keep his job into the new year, angering rivals who had voted down a no-confidence motion in return for a promise he’d quit.

The squabbling will likely further hamper efforts by Kan, who took office a year ago as Japan’s fifth premier in as many years, to tackle steps needed to rein in massive public debt while engineering growth in the fast-aging country.

TOKYO (Reuters) – A lame duck leader, a combative opposition that can block legislation, and a ruling party divided by private feuds and differences over how best to solve the country’s long-term ills.

It’s back to square one in Japan.

When the dusts settles, that may be the takeaway from the political drama that concluded on Thursday with a promise by Prime Minister Naoto Kan to resign once he has brought the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant under control.

TOKYO (Reuters) – A lame duck leader, a combative opposition that can block legislation, and a ruling party divided by private feuds and differences over how best to solve the country’s long-term ills.

It’s back to square one in Japan.

When the dusts settles, that may be the takeaway from the political drama that concluded on Thursday with a promise by Prime Minister Naoto Kan to resign once he has brought the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant under control.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan — in danger of losing a no-confidence vote in parliament on Thursday — will offer to resign later this year after dealing with a nuclear crisis and other urgent matters related to the massive March earthquake and tsunami, domestic media reported.

Even if Kan — Japan’s fifth premier in as many years — survives, a growing split within the ruling party would further handicap efforts to push policies through parliament, including politically sensitive tax reforms.

TOKYO, June 2 (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan
was at risk of losing his job after rebels in his own party said
they would back a no-confidence motion on Thursday, threatening
political chaos as the government struggles to contain a nuclear
crisis.

Even if Kan — already Japan’s fifth premier in as many
years — survives, the ruling party split will further handicap
efforts to implement policies in a divided parliament, including
tax reforms needed to rein in massive public debt.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Unpopular Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan needs a little help from his friends. Trouble is, he doesn’t seem to have many.

Kan, who took office just a year ago, may survive a looming no-confidence vote and ruling party rebellion, but his clout could well be weakened as he tries to contain a nuclear crisis and rebuild from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Unpopular Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan needs a little help from his friends. Trouble is, he doesn’t seem to have many.

Kan, who took office just a year ago, may survive a looming no-confidence vote and ruling party rebellion, but his clout could well be weakened as he tries to contain a nuclear crisis and rebuild from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Rebels in Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s party on Wednesday cranked up pressure on the unpopular leader as he struggled with a nuclear crisis, threatening to back an opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion if he refused to step down.

Many analysts say Kan is likely to survive the vote in parliament, expected on Thursday, but that he will still face big hurdles implementing policies, including an extra budget to pay for rebuilding after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Unpopular Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Tuesday refused to step down in the face of a no-confidence motion in parliament this week, saying he wanted first to resolve the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years.

Analysts say Kan would probably survive the vote, which could be submitted on Wednesday, but add he would still face big hurdles pushing policies through a divided parliament, including an extra budget to help pay for the recovery from damage caused by the March earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushima nuclear plant and devastated northeast Japan.

TOKYO, May 31 (Reuters) – Japan’s economy offered more signs
of recovery from the deadly March earthquake on Tuesday, but
Moody’s ratings agency warned both growth and government action
may fall short of what is necessary to bring Tokyo’s ballooning
debt back under control.

Industrial output rose 1 percent last month after a record
plunge immediately after the magnitude 9.0 quake and a tsunami
it set off, and companies said they planned to further crank up
output in May-June, bringing it close to pre-disaster levels.