Political blue blood: Yukio Hatoyama

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Though politics runs through his blood, Yukio Hatoyama has had a long wait in the wings. Despite serving eight terms in the powerful lower house of parliament, he never held a Cabinet post.

Like his LDP rival, Taro Aso, Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Hatoyama was seemingly born to be a politician. His great-grandfather, Kazuo Hatoyama, was a member of the House of Representatives ... his grandfather is former Prime Minister Ichiro Hatoyama ... and his father is former Foreign Minister Iichiro Hatoyama.

Yukio Hatoyama started his political life as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party in 1986 ... but left to help form New Party Sakigake, a conservative reformist party, in 1993. Sakigake was short-lived, however, and Hatoyama left the group three years later. He then helped to create the DPJ in 1998.

The party, which in its early years included such prominent politicians as Naoto Kan and former Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata, grew over the next few years. Hatoyama's stature increased at the same time.

He initially served as leader of the DPJ from 1999 to 2002, but stepped down following a merger with Ichiro Ozawa's Liberal Party.

After a few years in the political wilderness, Hatoyama became DPJ secretary-general in 2005, a post he held until taking over as leader in May, 2009.

A few months ago, it seemed likely that the DPJ would head into this year's election with Ozawa at the helm. In March, however, his secretary was revealed to have accepted illicit donations from the Nisimatsu Construction Corporation. That company had been involved in a major slush funds scandal, and Ozawa resigned his post in May.

Hatoyama was then chosen as DPJ leader after a contest with the party's vice president, Katsuya Okada. Since Hatoyama became party president, the DPJ's approval ratings have steadily increased while the LDP's favorables plummeted considerably.