Opinion polls show rising support for the opposition but low popularity for the 66-year-old Mr Ozawa. The veteran lawmaker has earned the nickname 'The Destroyer' for his passion for bare-knuckles political battle.

Mr Ozawa went on Sunday to the studio of the popular Ameba website (www.ameba.jp) in one of Tokyo's trendiest areas for an interview with Ms Sakura Uehara, who usually interviews young women in the fashion industry.

When she asked about his first love, a smiling Mr Ozawa said, 'Well, it happened in my teens, I guess. I wrote letters and saved money to see her, but in the end, I wound up with a broken heart.'

Mr Ozawa, wearing a dark suit and blue tie, eagerly ate a slice of apple cake which the host offered him, saying, 'This could be a surprise, but I like sweets.'

Mr Ozawa, a former heavy smoker with a history of health problems, also told the fashion-conscious interviewer that he was a fan of tofu, the low-calorie Japanese delicacy.

Speculation is growing that Prime Minister Taro Aso may call snap elections in late Nov. Polls have shown a tight race as Asia's largest economy teeters on recession and the disparity grows between rich and poor.

'If you feel something wrong with the current Japan, please vote for us,' Mr Ozawa said. 'Your life is influenced by politics. I hope you take a strong interest in going to vote.'

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has been in power for all but 10 months since 1955 but has gone through four prime ministers in the past two years and been hit by repeated scandals.

Mr Ozawa has promised to fix Japan's ailing pension system, boost wages for low-income people and curb the powerful bureaucracy if his Democratic Party of Japan takes power. -- AFP