Finance minister Kan likely new Japanese PM: reports

Japan's finance minister will be likely to be tapped as the new prime minister, Japanese news media reported.

Local major daily Asahi Shimbun reported in Friday issue that Naoto Kan, 63, concurrently deputy prime minister, is expected to win the contest for the premiership as he secure support by some 250 out of both upper and lower house members of Democratic Party during the night.

Naoto Kan, 63, was widely expected to succeed Yukio Hatoyama on Friday -- first as president of the centre-left Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and then, after a parliamentary vote, as prime minister of Asia's biggest economy.

The newspaper reported that Kan will bring in figures opposing its largest faction leader Ichiro Ozawa in both the Cabinet and major party posts, excluding the de facto leader of the party, when he is chosen as the prime minister and party leader.