TOKYO -- Punctuality is not one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's strong points, as the numerous global leaders he has kept waiting over the years can attest.
Yet his tardy arrival in Japan on Dec. 15 was surprising, even for Putin. He touched down at Yamaguchi Ube Airport nearly three hours behind schedule, keeping Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe waiting for the start of their two-day summit in his home prefecture of Yamaguchi.
