Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the No. 1 opposition Democratic Party of Japan, has long been known as a gambler, both at the casino and in the political arena. When he was his 40s, he often went to London to study British parliamentary politics, which he regarded as a model of political reform. While there, he would take young bureaucrats at the Japanese Embassy to casinos.
As one bureaucrat recalls, Ozawa's way of placing bets at the roulette table was unusual. He would keep betting on the same number until he won. In his first try, he would bet one chip on a number. He would up the ante to five chips, then to 50 chips and even to 200 chips.
Ozawa has confided to close associates that he is not fond of getting involved in political bargaining. Nevertheless, he has no choice but to get involved directly in political bargaining as he is one of today's principal political figures. He is not good at winning political friends with sweet words. Instead, he pushes opponents against the wall with principles and logic and forces them to make hard decisions. He can win big, or lose big.