Hailed on his election as a maverick with a great hairstyle, his popularity has nosedived over his handling of Japan's stubborn recession and a string of scandals.

Koizumi came to power promising sweeping reforms

His funky hairstyle and good looks made him extremely popular

So popular that Koizumi t-shirts and key rings were snapped up by Japan's females

Koizumi even hit if off with President Bush despite tensions over the environment and the economy

But a deep-seated recession and a string of political scandals have sent Koizumi's popularity plummeting

And he ends the year with his image in the rest of Asia dented by visits to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine