Justin Trudeau vs Yasuhiro Nakasone

Trudeau led the Liberal Party to a majority government victory, defeating Stephen Harper's Conservatives. His campaign focused on 'real change' and included promises of electoral reform, legalizing cannabis, and running deficits to stimulate the economy.

Trudeau's government passed the Cannabis Act, making Canada the second country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis. The law aimed to regulate production, distribution, and possession, while reducing the illegal market and criminal penalties.

Trudeau faced allegations that his office pressured Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to intervene in the criminal prosecution of engineering firm SNC-Lavalin. The scandal led to Wilson-Raybould's resignation and damaged Trudeau's reputation for ethical governance.

Nakasone launched a major administrative reform aimed at reducing government spending and streamlining bureaucracy. He established the Second Provisional Commission for Administrative Reform, which recommended cuts to public works, subsidies, and the number of civil servants, contributing to fiscal consolidation.

Nakasone deepened the US-Japan security alliance, notably by declaring Japan an 'unsinkable aircraft carrier' and increasing defense spending. He also agreed to share military technology with the US and supported the deployment of US forces in Japan, solidifying the bilateral partnership during the Cold War.

Nakasone hosted the 12th G7 summit in Tokyo in May 1986, where leaders discussed economic coordination, terrorism, and the Chernobyl disaster. The summit enhanced Japan's international profile and showcased Nakasone's leadership on the global stage.

As prime minister, Yasuhiro Nakasone oversaw the privatization of the debt-ridden Japanese National Railways (JNR), splitting it into regional passenger companies and a freight company. The reform, implemented in April 1987, aimed to improve efficiency and service quality, and is credited with revitalizing Japan's railway system.