Staff writers
Naoto Kan, once touted as the darling of Japanese politics and a favorite for the prime ministership, was apparently unaware that his charisma was on the wane.
The president and cofounder of the Democratic Party of Japan, the nation's largest opposition force, was rocked when he learned that his longtime partner Yukio Hatoyama planned to turn against him and run in the party's presidential election, campaigning for which officially kicks off today.