The focal point in Japanese politics has been shifting from when Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will call general elections to who will replace him.

As late as a month or two ago, there were hardly any calls within his Liberal Democratic Party to hold Fukuda accountable for the current political turmoil. Many attributed the problems to the incompetence of his immediate predecessor, Shinzo Abe, as they led to the LDP's resounding defeat in the Upper House election last July.

Now, however, many wonder how much longer Fukuda can remain at the helm, especially after he reportedly confided to a close journalist friend that he was at a loss as to what to do and how.