After a crushing election victory, the man soon to become Japan’s Prime Minister faces numerous perils, including unemployment at a record high and an opposition hungry for revenge. But there is one threat that looms perhaps largest of all.

Ichiro Ozawa, one of Japan’s most brilliant and controversial politicians, could prove to be the best friend or worst enemy of Yukio Hatoyama, the future Prime Minister.

Officially, Mr Ozawa is just one of several senior members of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in line for a top job in the new Government. However, many believe that he intends to be a “shadow shogun” who will manipulate Mr Hatoyama from behind the throne to fulfil his own ambitions. Yesterday Mr Hatoyama confirmed that Mr Ozawa will “continue to play a central role”. Mr Ozawa said that he will “follow the instructions of President Hatoyama”. These careful courtesies conceal tensions that could be the undoing of the new Government.

“The kind of administration the DPJ will be depends entirely on the relationship between Hatoyama and Ozawa,” said one political commentator. “Ozawa doesn’t consult, he doesn’t explain and he doesn’t try to persuade. The fact that he is going to enjoy tremendous power is a very dangerous situation.”

In 1993 Mr Ozawa temporarily forced the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from power by leading a group of rebels to desert. An LDP leader denounced him as “Satan”. Mr Ozawa called his former party “an old biddies’ retirement home”.

He is rare among Japanese politicians in having a set of consistent and intellectually rigorous policy principles but his political methods are those of an old-fashioned factional leader, adept at arm twisting,schmoozing and deal-making.

Mr Ozawa was leader of the DPJ until May when he resigned after a funding scandal. He appears, however, to prefer the role of backroom power broker, who operates independently of the formal leadership. It is this tendency that poses the potential menace to Mr Hatoyama and his embryonic Government.

Ichiro Ozawa

1942 Born in Oshu City, Iwate prefecture; his father was an MP

1969 Elected to parliament for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), taking over his father’s seat, aged 27. Becomes protégé of the legendary leader Kakuei Tanaka

1985 Takes on Home Affairs portfolio

1989 Elected secretary-general of the party; begins campaigning for a more adversarial style of politics in Japan

1993 Leaves the LDP with about 40 other lawmakers, triggering political crisis in which the party loses power for a year. Publishes book, A Blueprint for a New Japan, calling for a bolder international security role and reforms to cut bureaucracy

1998 Joins small Liberal Party

2003 Liberals merge with the Democrats

April 2006 Elected party chief

2007 Leads party to landslide victory in upper house elections and is tipped as a potential prime minister

May 11, 2009 Quits as party head over alleged illegal donations from a construction company

Source: Reuters

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