Prime Minister of Japan Yasuo Fukuda
#8. Japan's Political Shift
Sept. 23: Yasuo Fukuda is tapped to lead Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, following the resignation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe stepped down in the wake of a serious electoral setback to the party when it lost control over Japan's upper house in July, following a pension scandal. Fukuda is considered to be more of a consensus builder, and less hawkish on foreign policy issues than his predecessor.