FOCUS: Japan opposition faces renewed stigma of disunity after latest split

TOKYO - The failure of Japan's main opposition Centrist Reform Alliance to stay united has underscored how far the country is from having an opposition force capable of replacing the conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the near term.

The split of the around eight-month-old party after failed merger talks will likely mean the country's opposition camp remains fragmented, a scenario that would give the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi the upper hand as she is about to enter her second year in office.