A mix of scandals, achievements, political missteps and commemorations highlighted 2013. For a rundown of the quotations that shaped the Year of the Snake, let's start at the top, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Control freaks

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"Let me assure you the situation is under control," Abe said in a speech on Sept. 7 in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Buenos Aires. He was referring to the contaminated groundwater problem at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Olympic Games following the speech.