Though politics is in his blood, Japan's opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama has had a long wait in the wings.
While serving eight terms in the powerful lower house of parliament, he has never held a Cabinet post. And though he got his start in the long-ruling party his grandfather helped create, he defected at its time of greatest crisis to start the difficult process of creating a new, rival party.
Sunday's elections showed his strategy has paid off — he's now almost certain to be Japan's next prime minister.
Exit polls conducted by Japan's major TV networks forecast his party would win 300 of the 480 seats in the lower house of parliament, giving his party control of the chamber and paving the way for him to be named prime minister in a special session to be held next month.
"The nation is very angry with the ruling party, and we are grateful for their deep support," Hatoyama said after the polls closed. "We will not be arrogant and we will listen to the people."
Hatoyama — though seen by many as an uncharismatic, stiff leader — has an impeccable political pedigree.
The 62-year-old president of the Democratic Party of Japan is the grandson of Ichiro Hatoyama, who was prime minister from 1954-1956 and was also a co-founder of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. His father, Iichiro, served as foreign minister and his younger brother Kunio, who is a member of the Liberal Democrats, has served in several ministerial posts in the government of Prime Minister Taro Aso.
Hatoyama studied engineering at the prestigious University of Tokyo and earned a Ph.D. at Stanford University before starting a teaching career. In 1983, he became a private secretary to his father, and was elected to parliament three years later. He has since been re-elected seven times.
After cutting his teeth in the ruling party, Hatoyama defected when it faced an internal revolt over corruption scandals among its top leaders and in 1993 and joined the opposition to form an eight-party coalition government.
That was the only coalition without LDP backing to take over the government since 1955, but it lasted less than 11 months because of ideological rifts among its member parties. Hatoyama did not have a major position in that government, serving only as deputy Cabinet spokesman.
After the coalition collapsed, Hatoyama co-founded the Democratic Party of Japan with several other ex-LDP barons. After developing their base among liberals and in urban areas, the Democrats capitalized on economic problems and ruling party scandals to win 2007 elections to gain control of the upper house.
Aloof and professor-like, Hatoyama is not seen as charismatic and has a tendency to be verbose and dismissive. He has been nicknamed "the alien" because he can come across as eccentric.
But he has a knack for connecting with voters.
"He seems to pay more attention to the feelings of the voters and I am sure he will make a good prime minister," said Sekio Kurosawa, 68, a patent office worker who is a DPJ supporter. "I didn't think I would ever see a change of government, but it is finally coming true."
Hatoyama promises to cut wasteful government spending, rein in the powerful bureaucracy and put more money in consumers' pockets by postponing tax hikes that the ruling party has said are in the works.
Hatoyama also wants Japan to be closer to Asia and more independent from the U.S., Japan's biggest trading and military ally, though he stressed that their alliance would remain "the cornerstone" of Japanese diplomacy.
