The transfer of power from Prime Ministers Tanzan Ishibashi to Nobusuke Kishi in 1957 may have been a turning point in postwar Japan, diminishing the possibility of the country setting off on its own path and less dependent on the United States.</PARAGRAPH> <PHOTO> <TABLE WIDTH='250' ALIGN='RIGHT' BORDER='0'> <TR> <TD><IMG ALT='News photo' BORDER='0' SRC='../images/photos2007/nn20070508f3a.jpg' WIDTH='250' HEIGHT='188'/></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT SIZE='1'><B>Tanzan Ishibashi –

is congratulated by Nobusuke Kishi after winning a runoff election for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidency on Dec. 14, 1956. KYODO PHOTO

"It was a chilling moment," said Toshio Sato, 75, a former political reporter for Kyodo News, recalling the presidential election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Dec. 14, 1956, in which Kishi was regarded as the sure winner.