Since issuing the call for reform of the Liberal Democratic Party more than a month ago, Nobuteru Ishihara has been bombarded with questions from reporters and political observers:

Is his group aiming to replace Yoshiro Mori as party chief? What about kingpin Secretary General Hiromu Nonaka? Is there any possibility of his group splitting from the LDP and allying with opposition forces?

After his Group to Create the LDP's Tomorrow compiled a set of proposals for party reform, Ishihara is now a little subdued when discussing his and his colleagues' moves.