Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda found himself in the spotlight when he was given a surprise treat during his first stint at the Group of Eight summit — a birthday cake from the current G-8 host, U.S. President Barack Obama, with the rest of the G-8 leaders celebrating with him.
On discussions at the annual summit, Noda, being the head of the only Asian nation in the grouping, took the opportunity to put North Korea and Myanmar on the agenda, while reiterating Japan's contribution to efforts to ease Europe's sovereign debt crisis.
But despite Noda's pitch about Japan's role in the G-8 framework, it was not enough to steal the thunder from newly installed French President Francois Hollande, or reposition Japan into significance in the same manner it did at last year's meeting when the nuclear crisis caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami put it at the forefront of ensuring nuclear safety.