He inherited a mess and turned it into an opportunity. After taking over the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in May, when his predecessor, Naoto Kan, stepped down over a pension scandal, Kat-suya Okada led the party to an impressive showing in last month's upper-house elections. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) remains in power, but no longer looks dominant. And if the 51-year-old Mr Okada can build on his good start, he might have a chance to do what previous opposition leaders could only dream about and become prime minister.
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