Perplexity, apathy and hopes for a strong leader.

Those were the ways many Japanese and foreign Tokyoites reacted Tuesday to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's sudden decision to resign the previous night.

Fukuda, who accepted the post last September, is now set to become the second consecutive prime minister to resign after just a year in office. His predecessor, Shinzo Abe, made the same announcement in early September 2007 — nearly a year after being appointed.