Leader Profile: Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

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Shinzo Abe is the leader of one of the most influential countries on Earth. Japan, the world's largest producer of automobiles, and the home of sumo and sushi, has an ever-growing economy. In office for a second time since December 2012, Mr Abe is the countries 90th Prime Minister.
Shinzo Abe was born was born in Yamaguchi, into a high profile political family. His father, Shintaro Abe, was a former foreign minister and his granfather on his mother's side was former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi (in office 1957 - 60) - he was arrested as a suspected war criminal after World War II but never charged. Shinzo Abe graduated in political science from Seikei University before studying politics at the University of Southern California. He won his first seat in parliament in 1993, and went on to become deputy cabinet secretary. In September 2003, he went on to become Secretary-General of the then-ruling Liberal Democrats party. Then, in 2006, Mr Abe was elected as Prime Minister as Japan for the Liberal Democrats Party - he was aged 52; the youngest ever age for a Prime Minister of Japan since 1941. At first, he was very popular but then a series of scandals - both by him and his ministers - harmed the government, and lowered his approval ratings dramatically. Mr Abe provoked anger in China and South Korea when he said there was no evidence that women in those countries we forced to become sex slaves during the war by the Japanese army; he was forced to clarify his remarks and apologize. Another event which further tarnished his record was the revelation that over the years the government had lost pension records affecting about 50 million claims. This led to his resignation from power in 2007; just one year on from being elected - he cited health grounds for his decision to resign. He stepped down in September that year and dissapeared from politics. Then, 5 years later in 2012, Shinzo Abe returned to the forefront of Japan's Liberal Democrat Party. He was elected party leader and, in parliamentary elections in December 2012, he and his party won back power. But the struggle is not over, the party has a lot to do after scandals of the past; and Mr Abe himself has admitted that people will be watching very closely to see if they can live up to expectations.