the important things to know: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904199404576537571252107278.html
* His biggest strength, he maintained, was the kind of persistency that kept him showing up every weekday morning for 24 years at train stations to talk to commuters in his suburban district near Tokyo.
* "With me in the office with these looks, I don't expect our approval rating to skyrocket," he said in a speech before Monday's vote by his party's lawmakers. "I'll never be a goldfish in a scarlet robe, but like a loach in muddy waters, I'll work hard for the people, to move politics forward," Mr. Noda said, referring to an eel-like fish often found in Japanese rice paddies.
* Below the surface, Mr. Noda has a highly competitive streak. He is a husky martial-arts buff with a black-belt in judo, and expert knowledge in pro-wrestling.
expert knowledge in pro-wrestling yessir
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Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.