Nikai

Nikai, who also heads Japan's energy policy, has also denied wrongdoing.

Forbes.com: News 2009

Nikai, who also heads Japan's energy policy, has also denied wrongdoing.

Forbes.com: News 2009

So Nikai is much more likely to take leave, which will ratchet up media (and hence voter) pressure on Ozawa.

GlobalTalk 21 2009

Ozawa's troubles have failed to result in a huge ratings boost for Aso's LDP because a handful of LDP lawmakers, including Nikai, have also been linked to the same scandal-tainted construction company.

Forbes.com: News 2009

Adding spice to the …. okay, what's particularly … delicious is the fact that Nikai is a sitting Cabinet member, which means that the Aso administration is taking a direct hit and that the Prime Minister's judgment and leadership are yet again being called into question.

GlobalTalk 21 2009

A Nikai resignation will touch off media pressure on Ozawa to follow suit, and "we're no worse than the LDP" is not good, as an excuse or a campaign slogan.

GlobalTalk 21 2009

In fact, I think that there is now a good chance, depending very much on how the criminal investigations unfold, that both Nikai and Ozawa will end up resigning by the end of the month, allowing the latter to concentrate on the experientially more comfortable and physically less taxing role of political strategist / fixer extraordinaire.

GlobalTalk 21 2009

Nikai said the measure is totally at odds with the pledge to prevent protectionism made by leaders of the Group of 20 leading economies in the joint statement issued at their meeting in Washington last November.

Top Headlines from World Press Review 2009

In other words, other things being equal, there is a greater likelihood of establishing a direct politician-donor link for Nikai than Ozawa.

GlobalTalk 21 2009

"We will take actions to avoid any excessive volatility in commodity futures and Japan will look into what measures are appropriate," Nikai said at the briefing.

Taipei Times 2009