Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears to be trying to move back into the political limelight, even though his close associates think it's too early.
As deputy chief Cabinet secretary under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Abe gained fame as a leader of the campaign to resolve the fate of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea during the 1970s and '80s, and have any survivors returned.
Abe's closest political ally is Taro Aso, former foreign minister who was named all-powerful secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a major reshuffle of the Cabinet and party leadership posts in August. The alliance between Abe and Aso amounts to nothing more or less than an opposition force to incumbent Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.