Saying “I bear the biggest responsibility for the severe defeat” in Sunday’s Lower House of Representatives election that is turning the Democratic Party of Japan out of power, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has called it quits as party president.

Noda called it “most deplorable” that his party lost so many seats in the Lower House, and quickly announced “I will resign as the party president.”  The Prime Minister tried to rationalize the thumping his party took at the hands of voters, but was hard pressed to offer any thoughts other than that voters were not happy.

The Liberal Democratic Party, which had ruled Japan for most of the nation’s years since 1955, was ousted in 2009.  Noda’s ruling party fared poorly, with the DPJ winding up with 57 seats in the Lower House compared with 230 seats before the election.  Even the third-force party, Nippon Ishin no To, the Japan Restoration Party, led by former Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, picked up 54 seats in the election.

Shinzo Abe had answers though, saying “today’s victory is due to the confusion that the DPJ created.”  Abe added, though, that  “I can say that our policies gstion that the DPJ created.”arty took at the hands of voters, explaining “at constituencies.  Naotoained support, but I can’t say that we’ve recovered our trust.”  Abe says “I was nervous and under pressure, and I achieved some results,” speaking of his first stint as Prime Minister and his abrupt resignation five years ago.  “I could not continue more than one year, bu this time I will create a steady government.”

Abe’s the second man to be prime minister twice since World War II.  Shigeru Yoshida, was the other.  Abe will be Japan’s seventh Prime Minister in six years.

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