Taro Aso, a direct descendant of the great 19th century political revolutionary Toshimichi Okubo, is the brashest and most charismatic prime minister since Jun’ichiro Koizumi (left). But if Koizumi is Elvis (indeed, the only foreign head of state to visit Graceland), then Aso (right) is Edward G. Robinson (middle).

Aso’s got a voice like a tough guy in a Bogart film, too. And he’s already proven himself more than willing to play the heavy with his opponents in the Japanese Diet.

Eugene Woodbury