TOKYO - Japan's new opposition party stands at a pivotal crossroads after a crushing defeat in the country's general election, weighing whether overwhelming voter support for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's conservative ruling coalition signals the centrist force's collapse or offers a chance for reinvention.

With the resignation of its current leaders, whose ambition to become a magnet for moderate and liberal voices instead alienated many voters, whoever takes the helm of the Centrist Reform Alliance must tackle the enormous challenge of keeping the party united amid anger from within the party over the election outcome.