TOKYO, June 3 (UPI) -- Japanese Finance Minister Naoto Kan emerged Thursday as the leading candidate to succeed Yukio Hatoyama as prime minister, political observers said.
Lawmakers in the governing Democratic Party backed Kan, who earned his chops by battling Japan's bureaucrats, The New York Times reported Thursday. The party is expected to conduct an internal vote Friday and Kan is expected to face no serious opposition, party officials said.