This photo taken on March 24, 2013 shows Russin President Vladimir Putin as he plays with his dogs 'Buffy' (R) and 'Yume' (L) at his residence Novo-Ogariovo, outside Moscow. Bulgarian shepherd dog 'Buffy' was presented to Putin by his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov while Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda offered Putin the puppy 'Yume' as a gift during the G20 in Mexico in June.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan attends the Lower House's fiscal and monetary policies committee session at the national Diet in Tokyo on August 10, 2011. Japan may have a new leader by the end of the month, its sixth in five years, newspapers said, as embattled Prime Minister Naoto Kan signalled he would resign soon. Japanese media have mentioned Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda as a leading candidate for the top job.
Protesters take part in an anti-nuclear demonstration demanding a stop to the resumption of nuclear power operations, in front of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's official residence in Tokyo in this June 29, 2012 file photo. The crowds of anti-nuclear protesters have dwindled since Japan's "Summer of Discontent" last year, and a new government is keen to revive the country's atomic energy industry.
An anti-nuclear protester attends a rally against a possible restart of nuclear reactors, in front of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's official residence in Tokyo in this June 16, 2012 file photo. The crowds of anti-nuclear protesters have dwindled since Japan's "Summer of Discontent" last year, and a new government is keen to revive the country's atomic energy industry.
This file photo taken on November 6, 2010 shows then-Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda (R) delivers a speech at the beginning of the plenary session of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Japan 2010 Finance Ministers' meeting in Kyoto, western Japan, as director general of the International Bureau of the Japanese Finance Ministry Takehiko Nakao (L) looks on. Japan nominated Takehiko Nakao on March 7, 2013 for the top job at the Asian Development Bank, as Tokyo looks to keep hold of a role it has held for almost 50 years.
Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (2nd R) receives a certificate from Emperor Akihito (L) as former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda (2nd L) watches, during an attestation ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo December 26, 2012, in this handout photo taken and released by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan.
