Japan’s main opposition party scored a huge win in Sunday’s general elections to dethrone the Liberal Democratic Party, which lost majority rule for the first time in 54 years.

The Democratic Party of Japan had secured over 308 of the 480 lower house seats, while the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party had only managed to take 119.

The 308 is well above the absolute majority of 269 seats and more than the record 300 seats the Liberal Democrats won in 1986.

In a news conference at party headquarters, opposition party chairman Yukio Hatoyama said that the people have shown the courage to take politics into their own hands.

Prime Minister Taro Aso said he takes full responsibility for the defeat and will resign as head of the Liberal Democratic Party. He said the severity of the election results shows the L-D-P failed to defuse the public’s deep dissatisfaction with the party.