Veteran Japanese politician Ichiro Ozawa, now a member of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, is still pursuing a parliamentary democracy where a change of government is the norm.
With the weakening of opposition parties in recent years, more and more people have begun to think that a regime change is a castle in the sky.
But Ozawa — once one of the strongest members of the Liberal Democratic Party, later playing a key role in destroying the LDP’s dominance, referred to as the 1955 system, some 30 years ago as an opposition party member — said in an interview that Japan is “gradually heading toward” such a parliamentary democracy. "If not, I will steer (the country). Don't worry," he added.