Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and SoftBank Group Corp. Chairman Masayoshi Son were named two of the world's 100 Most Influential People of 2018, according to the annual list Thursday released by Time magazine.
"Shinzo Abe's confident and dynamic leadership has revived Japan's economy and prospects," Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a brief commentary he contributed to the magazine.
"As a statesman, he is both resilient and pragmatic, recognizing that the prosperity and security of our region depends on maintaining and developing the rules-based international order. In a world with many strong and dominant leaders, he has certainly been as tenacious and courageous as any other," Turnbull said.
Also on Time's annual list were notables mostly from the worlds of government, business, and art and entertainment, including U.S. President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Abe, 63, also made the list in 2014. He has been prime minister since December 2012, following a brief year at the helm from 2006 to 2007.
As for Son, Uber Technologies Inc. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wrote in the magazine that the 60-year-old business tycoon running SoftBank is one of a "few rare people" who are society's "accelerators."
The telecom and internet giant recently acquired a 15 percent stake in the U.S. ride-hailing service for $7.7 billion.