The members of Nippon Mirai no To (Tomorrow Party of Japan) agreed Thursday to split the antinuclear party as strife emerged over who should lead it following its meltdown in the Dec. 16 Lower House election.

Nippon Mirai is expected to break into a group led by founder and Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada, and one led by Ichiro "the destroyer" Ozawa, a political heavyweight known for habitually splitting parties.

The strife began when Kada proposed making Tomoko Abe, formerly of the Social Democratic Party, coleader of Nippon Mirai. But the pro-Ozawa group reportedly demanded that Ozawa be given the post instead.