2012 House of Representatives Election Resigned as representative of the Democratic Party of Japan after a disastrous defeat

December 16, 2012, Tokyo, Japan - Sour-faced Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda purses his lips upon arriving for a news conference at the temporary election headquarters set up by the Democratic Party of Japan at a Tokyo hotel on Sunday, December 16, 2012. Noda conceded defeat in Sunday's general election and said he would step down as leader of the DPJ. Voters across Japan went to the polls in the general election, casting "No votes" to the year-year reign by the DPJ, which won a landslide victory in 2009 but could not deliver on a string of campaign pledges. As predicted by the media, the conservative Liberal Democratic Party led by hawkish former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, scored a landslide victory to regain the grip on power in the election for the 480-seat parliament lower house. (Photo by Natsuki Sakai/AFLO) AYF -mis-