In the run to his bolt from the DPJ Ozawa Ichiro paid Hashimoto a high-profile visit.
FORBES: Tokyo Buzzing with Talk of Political Party Realignment
Late last year, the New Frontier Party, led by Ozawa Ichiro, split six ways because of internal disagreements.
Before announcing his candidacy, Maehara followed all other candidates in making a formal call on DPJ boss Ozawa Ichiro, to request upport.
In the early 1990s, Takeshita shared his behind-the-scenes influence with two other shadow shoguns, former vice premier Kanemaru Shin and Ozawa Ichiro.
Opposition leader Mr. Ozawa Ichiro may have lots of ideas for reforming Japan, but he has turned out to be a flop as political tactician.
Literally hours earlier he had had a specially bruising confrontation with Ozawa Ichiro, an LDP "renegade" who now leads the Liberal Party, an LDP coalition partner.
Too much should not be made of it, but by appearances it would seem that Noda was not the first choice of the DPJ kingmaker Ozawa Ichiro.
The top two contenders are expected to be the LDP (206 seats before dissolution) and the opposition New Frontier Party (163 seats), a conservative group headed by LDP renegade Ozawa Ichiro.
Noda is the front runner, but Kaieda Banri, the current Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister, and Mabuchi Sumio, former Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister, have some key potential backers, most importantly scandal-ridden but still-potent party kingpin and former leader Ozawa Ichiro, who controls some 130 DPJ votes.
And that requires him to rid himself of Ichiro Ozawa, the DPJ's secretary-general, electoral wizard and, now, its biggest handicap.
Support for the government has tumbled because of financial scandals surrounding Yukio Hatoyama, the prime minister, and Ichiro Ozawa, the DPJ's secretary-general.
DPJ's leader, Ichiro Ozawa, says the upper house will block the extension.
Japanese political kingpin Ichiro Ozawa unveiled a new party, pledging to overturn Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's bill to double the nation's sales tax.
His chief foe within the party is Ichiro Ozawa, who has cast a longer political shadow over the past two decades than anyone.
Yukio Hatoyama, the prime minister, and his most influential backer, Ichiro Ozawa, have since been caught up in election-funding scandals that have shredded the government's credibility.
For a start, both Yukio Hatoyama, prime minister since September, and the DPJ's secretary-general, Ichiro Ozawa, are under a cloud over the misuse of political funds.
DPJ's leader, Ichiro Ozawa, vows to block the measures in the upper house he believes that any projection of Japanese military power must be authorised by the United Nations.
The latest set of economic reports come just a day after Ichiro Ozawa announced that he would run against Kan for leadership of the Democratic Party on Sept. 14.
That signalled to the politician's followers that they should cast their run-off vote for Mr Noda, rather than the puppet candidate of Ichiro Ozawa, the party's indicted (and suspended) kingpin.
Reports in Japan say Ichiro Ozawa, who leads the biggest faction despite the suspension of his party membership over a political funding scandal, is unlikely to support the former foreign minister.
BBC: Japan PM Naoto Kan announces resignation amid criticism
Mr Fujii, say people who have spoken to him, was fed up with the power wielded over Mr Hatoyama by Ichiro Ozawa, secretary-general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).
The opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), led by Ichiro Ozawa, controls the Diet's upper house and vows to oppose the LDP's measures, raising the odds of a poll in early November.
ECONOMIST: Aso steps up to the plate; but perhaps not to stay very long
Most expect him, reluctantly, to accept the overtures from conservatives within Ichiro Ozawa's New Frontier Party, the largest of the opposition groups and the most enthusiastic about a bigger security role for Japan.
While hardly the closest of bed-fellows, Mr Kan and Ichiro Ozawa, the head-strong boss of the Liberal Party, have now agreed to combine forces in a bid to oust Mr Obuchi before February.
LDP's right wing to split off and form an alliance with Ichiro Ozawa, who was once a political heavyweight in the ruling party but now leads a dwindling band of conservatives in the opposition.
As the party prepares for a leadership race, it may be split between those loyal to Mr Kan and others who support Ichiro Ozawa, an old-style, pork-barrel populist who resigned alongside Mr Hatoyama last month and has continued to snipe at Mr Kan from the sidelines.
As the largest opposition group in the Diet (parliament), Mr Kan and his colleagues have been trying to persuade the other opposition parties including Ichiro Ozawa's dwindling New Frontier Party, the small but influential New Peace Party and even the Communists to throw their weight behind an effort to topple the government.
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