Battered by weak exports and an economy in recession, Japan looks ready to turn to a familiar face in hopes of climbing out of the doldrums.
Voters will go to the polls on Sunday in parliamentary elections. And if recent polls are correct, they should clear the path for Shinzo Abe to become Japan's next prime minster in a coalition government.
 
The Liberal Democratic Party politician held the post once before, becoming Japan's youngest prime minister since World War II in 2006. He resigned one year later after a series of scandals. Since then, Japan's government has been led by six different prime ministers.
Should Abe return to become the seventh, he will inherit an economy in recession, according to the government's latest estimates.