Pundits were split Thursday over who will win the Democratic Party of Japan's presidential election, Prime Minister Naoto Kan or political heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa.
But they all agreed that regardless of who takes the big prize, the outcome will drastically change the political landscape and could even prompt some key losers to leave the ruling party and throw the nation's leadership into even further disarray.
"Things can change drastically depending on the outcome of the vote," political analyst Eiken Itagaki said, explaining that if Kan is the last man standing, Ozawa could bolt the DPJ and form a new group.