Ichiro Ozawa

Kan Survives as Japan's Leader With Vow to End Deflation Cycle By Sachiko Sakamaki and Takashi Hirokawa Naoto Kan, Japan's prime minister and leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, is greeted by other party lawmakers in Tokyo. Kan, 63, was re-elected head of the Democratic Party of Japan, defeating Ichiro Ozawa in a ballot that showed he has more support among rank-and-file members than lawmakers after losing control last month of parliament’s upper house. Photographer: Tomohiro...Read Full Story

Japan's centre-left Prime Minister Naoto Kan, under fire for his handling of the response to the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, faces the threat of a no-confidence motion this week. Although Kan's opponents have only a slim chance of rallying enough support for a successful motion in the Diet legislature, the move would be a fresh headache for the PM, who has been in office for less than a year. Leaders of the main conservative opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and...Read Full Story

Japan's former ruling party secretary general Ichiro Ozawa should be indicted over a funding scandal, a citizens' judicial review panel said Monday in a ruling that paves the way for legal action. The independent panel's decision represents a major turnaround for the 68-year-old Ozawa, dubbed the "Shadow Shogun", who only weeks ago was in contention to become Japan's prime minister in a party leadership election. He lost out to Prime Minister Naoto Kan last month. The panel ruled that Ozawa...Read Full Story

TOKYO ( Reuters ) - A former Japanese prime minister joined the swelling ranks of ruling party rebels trying to oust leader Naoto Kan , raising the risk that a no-confidence vote will pass in parliament on Thursday, forcing him to quit. Japan's fifth premier in as many years, Kan has come under fire for his handling of the nuclear crisis triggered by the March 11 earthquake, the world's worst in quarter of a century. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) rebels lining up against Kan also resent...Read Full Story

Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan , in office for just three months, was fighting for his job Tuesday in a party vote against a veteran powerbroker who could become the nation's third leader in a year. Lawmakers from their centre-left Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) started voting at a two-yearly leadership meeting in a Tokyo hotel to decide the tight race between Kan and his rival, Ichiro Ozawa . Kan is more popular with the public, but Ozawa, although tainted by money scandals, is seen as...Read Full Story