Since 2006, when the popular Junichiro Koizumi resigned from his role, Japan has had six prime ministers, one of which has served on two separate occasions. Koizumi’s successor,Shinzo Abe, had to...Show moreSince 2006, when the popular Junichiro Koizumi resigned from his role, Japan has had six prime ministers, one of which has served on two separate occasions. Koizumi’s successor,Shinzo Abe, had to resign after a year due to low popularity and health issues. However, in 2012, Abe returned. Based on his history, one would not expect Abe to be able to come back,let alone be capable of leading his country towards economic recovery and political stability. Nevertheless, Abe has been able to maintain his position for about a year and a half, while sustaining fairly stable public support. Is the current Abe different from the previous one? Has he become a transformational leader? Will Abe be able to finish his term, just as Koizumi did? This article applies a comparative analysis on Koizumi's and Abe's terms as prime minister of Japan. Based on the theory of transformational and transactional leadership, this essay attempts to answer these questions. This article uses a keyword analysis to examine their populist style. In the end, it is concluded that Abe has become a transformational leader with a populist style, but that he still lacks Koizumi's charisma.Show less
