Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has found himself in a difficult position after Friday's meeting with the heads of the two main opposition parties broke up after about 40 minutes of fruitless discussion.

As a result, Noda will have to face an extraordinary Diet session, which the Democratic Party of Japan decided to open late this month, without opposition cooperation.

Scandal-tainted Justice Minister Keishu Tanaka is expected to resign soon, which will likely deal another blow to Noda's administration. Looking to build on the momentum, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito are stepping up attacks on the troubled administration.

On Friday, Noda opened talks with LDP President Shinzo Abe and Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi by commenting on his own words. "'To seek the people's mandate sometime soon'--I understand the significance of those words," Noda said.

Noda asked Abe and Yamaguchi to cooperate in passing a bill on issuing deficit-covering bonds, rectifying the disparity in the value of votes in both houses of the Diet and launching a national council on social security reform.

Abe, who intently listened to Noda's remarks, immediately asked, "Do you have a new, specific proposal?"