Keizō Obuchi
In 1998, Nonaka was named Chief Cabinet Secretary under Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi, where he wielded an unusual amount of power in this role. Nonaka was viewed by many insiders as a shadow leader of the government, arranging a major bank bailout plan and bringing the faction led by Ichiro Ozawa into the governing coalition. A "TIME" article in December 1998 called Nonaka "Japan's most powerful man."