Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's 91st prime minister, is the son of a former Japanese prime minister. Growing up in the 1940s, Fukuda saw his nation reach the heights of military glory during World War II before being ultimately defeated by the United States and its Allies. He then saw his nation rise from the ashes of that defeat to become Asia's economic powerhouse. In recent years, he has witnessed Japan suffer from economic reversals, and has been a part of a political system that is trying to rebuild his nation's ailing economy. Through Fukuda's life and career, the reader of Yasuo Fukuda will come to a greater understanding of the story of modern Japan: its history, its economy, its political system, and its hopes for the future.
