Shinzō Abe (Japan)

Shinzō Abe rose to the role of Prime Minister of Japan in 2012. Born into a family with significant political experience, Abe has been involved with government issues for a considerable amount of time, first elected to parliament in 1993. Despite disapproval and scandals, he rose the ranks and was elected prime minister in 2006. However, Abe stepped down from his position in 2007 after his party, the Liberal Democratic Party, lost considerable influence in upper house elections. However, Abe was not defeated, and returned as a political force soon after, regaining his role as prime minister in 2012. He is considered to be more right-wing than his predecessors, facing issues such as immigration with harsh policies. However, Abe has worked hard to gain a more significant role in terms of world power. He has stated his goal to rebuild relationships with China, maintain an alliance with the United States, and develop a stronger relationship with India. North Korea, however, represents a major foreign policy test for Abe.