The battle between Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa comes at a time when Japan is struggling with a slumping economy, strong yen and numerous other issues requiring prompt attention.
But from fiscal to foreign policy, the remedies that Ozawa has proposed stand in stark contrast to the path so far tread by Kan, forecasting a drastic change in leadership if the DPJ power broker manages to emerge from the race as the next prime minister.
Experts say that while Kan is forced as prime minister to stick with realistic policies, Ozawa is capitalizing on his challenger status to criticize the administration and propose more daring alternatives.