A mix of scandals, achievements, political missteps and commemorations highlighted 2013. For a rundown of the quotations that shaped the Year of the Snake, let's start at the top, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Control freaks
"Let me assure you the situation is under control," Abe said in a speech on Sept. 7 in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Buenos Aires. He was referring to the contaminated groundwater problem at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Olympic Games following the speech.