Who was Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese Prime Minister?
By CNN Staff


Updated 0959 GMT (1759 HKT) July 8, 2022



Tokyo (CNN)Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in Nara. He was 67.

Abe was pronounced dead by doctors at the Nara Medical University hospital in central Japan at 5:03 p.m. local time. He was admitted into hospital in a state of cardiac arrest and medical staff were unable to stop the excessive bleeding, doctors said during a press conference on Friday.

Abe served two separate terms as Japanese leader for the right-leaning LDP -- the first from 2006 to 2007, then again from 2012 until 2020. His second stint was the longest consecutive term for a Japanese head of government.


Abe will be remembered for boosting defense spending and pushing through the most dramatic shift in Japanese military policy in 70 years. In 2015, his government passed a reinterpretation of Japan's postwar, pacifist constitution, allowing Japanese troops to engage in overseas combat -- with conditions -- for the first time since World War II.

Abe argued the change was needed to respond to a more challenging security environment, a nod to a more assertive China and frequent missile tests in North Korea.

During his term, Abe sought to improve relations with Beijing and held a historic phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2018. At the same time, he tried to counter Chinese expansion in the region by uniting Pacific allies.

After leaving office, Abe remained head of the largest faction of the ruling LDP and remained influential within the party. He has continued to campaign for a stronger security policy and last year angered China by calling for a greater
commitment from allies to defend democracy in Taiwan. In response, Beijing summoned Japan's ambassador and accused Abe of openly challenging China's sovereignty.


Abe was born on September 21, 1954, in Tokyo, to a prominent political family. Both his grandfather and great uncle served as prime minister, and his father was a former secretary general of the LDP.

He studied politics at Tokyo's Seiki University and the University of Southern California, but initially entered business, taking a position with Kobe Steel in 1979. Three years later, he became an assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Abe was first elected to Japan's House of Representatives in 1993, at age 38. He held a number of cabinet positions throughout the 2000s, and in 2003 became secretary general of the LDP. Four years later, he was named the party's president and became prime minister of Japan.
His first term was marred by controversies and worsening health, and he stepped down as party leader and prime minister in 2007. The end of Abe's first term opened a revolving door in which five different men held the prime minister post in five years until his re-election in 2012. He stepped down in 2020 citing ill health.



Diplomatic record
Abe was a prominent figure on the world stage. He cultivated strong ties with Washington -- Tokyo's traditional ally -- and attempted to build a personal relationship with former United States President Donald Trump, traveling to New York to meet the newly elected Republican President while former President Barack Obama was still in office.

During that "unofficial" meeting in 2016, Trump's first with any world leader, Abe hailed the US-Japan alliance and said he wanted to "build trust" with the new President. He strongly supported Trump's initial hard line on North Korea, which matched Abe's own hawkish tendencies.

But as Washington's relationship with Pyongyang tipped toward diplomacy, with both Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in holding historic summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Abe appeared to be sidelined.

No meeting was scheduled between Abe and Kim, and in September 2019, the Japanese leader said he was still "determined" to meet him. Abe wanted to normalize relations with North Korea and ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but his first priority was to bring some closure for the families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 80s.

During his tenure, Japan's relations with South Korea soured. The two countries were engaged in a major dispute in which trade and military intelligence deals were scrapped, partly due to the legacy of World War II and Japan's brutal colonization of the Korean Peninsula.



Olympic 'Super Mario' success and setback
Abe came to office during a time of economic turmoil and soon set about rebooting Japan's economy after decades of stagnation. Soon after he was re-elected prime minister in 2012, he launched a grand experiment popularly known as "Abenomics."

It included three so-called arrows -- massive monetary stimulus, increased government spending, and structural reforms.

Abe's allies praised the plan for reviving the country's economy and boosting consumer and investor confidence. But after a strong start, it faltered and in 2015 Abe fired "three new arrows" designed to boost gross domestic product. Any hopes they might eventually hit their mark were dashed when Covid-19 swept through the country in 2020, tipping Japan into recession.

One of Abe's major domestic achievements was securing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Abe delighted video game fans around the world when he famously dressed as Japanese icon Super Mario during the closing ceremony for the Rio Games in 2016, to introduce Tokyo as the next host city.


In an instantly meme-able segment, Abe, wearing an oversized red cap, was shown emerging from a green pipe, as the sounds of the Super Mario video game echoed around the Maracanã stadium.

But the success of the much anticipated Tokyo Games was ultimately undone by the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced the competition to be postponed to 2021.

An initial unwillingness to delay the Games was partly credited for Japan's slow response to the coronavirus pandemic, which hit the country early in 2020. Abe declared a state of emergency months after the first cases were detected. His administration was also criticized for the low rate of testing, and an early lack of specialist medical equipment to treat the rising number of patients.

More successful was Abe's handling of the abdication of Emperor Akihito, the first Japanese monarch to step down in two centuries. He was succeeded by his son, Emperor Naruhito, in October 2019, starting the Reiwa era.

"Like the flowers of the plum tree blooming proudly in spring after the cold winter, we wish the Japanese people to bloom like individual flowers with the (promise of the) future. With such a wish for Japan, we decided upon 'Reiwa'," Abe said on announcing the new era.
Abe is survived by his wife Akie Abe, née Matsuzaki, who he married in 1987. The couple did not have children.



Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/08/asia/shinzo-abe-former-japan-pm-death-intl-hnk/index.html

His death saddens me, I don't know the motive behind this whole ugly incident.

Why assassinating such a good man


On a lighter note, this is how president biden and former president Donald trump both expressed their condolences.

No one is really safe in this world.. If the lord does not watch over a person the watchman watches in vain.

He was such a loving and lovable leader. His killing cannot be explained.

Shinzo Abe was married to his wife (Akie) since 1987 without biological kids. This gives deep insights for those in long-term relationships and the importance of TRUE friendship.

Awesome insights about a great Japanese internationalist!

Body of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe returns to Tokyo home - BBC News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7z58tSllEI
BBC News · Jul 9, 2022

Ashes to ashes... Farewell Shinzo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX8rR3MludE
BBC News · 12 July, 2022

Indellible events that gripped the world.

Very sad.
I'm still very shocked and very hurt.

Thank you so much for sharing!
I appreciate you!!

Abe is survived by his wife Akie Abe, née Matsuzaki, who he married in 1987. The couple did not have children.

Eyya... This saddens me more than his senseless assassination.

He's calm and has contributed immensely to the growth of his country. My only problem with Abe was how he appeared to worship the USA at every turn - forgetting and forgiving the Hiroshima nuclear gift they received from America, but sees China they once muscled as an enemy; at every war memorial, Chinese government always asked the Japanese to apologize for what they did to them.

It's embarrassing for a political leader to be assassinated and it's even more embarrassing that it happened in a developed nation like Japan.

Rest on, Abe.

Caseless:


Eyya... This saddens me more than his senseless assassination.

He's calm and has contributed immensely to the growth of his country. My only problem with Abe was how he appeared to worship the USA at every turn - forgetting and forgiving the Hiroshima nuclear gift they received from America, but sees China they once muscled as an enemy; at every war memorial, Chinese government always asked the Japanese to apologize for what they did to them.

It's embarrassing for a political leader to be assassinated and it's even more embarrassing that it happened in a developed nation like Japan.

Rest on, Abe.

@Caseless, you're right. His calmness has a commanding presence. I wish Shinzo and Akie Abe had at least two kids to keep his legacy alive since he comes from a political family.

Just like Shinzo Abe, many Japanese have moved on from the horrendous events of the December 7, 1941 U.S. Pearl Habor bombings in Hawaii by Japan, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki where those U.S. nukes exploded in 1945.


Lack of forgiveness leads to negative energy on a long-term basis and the Japanese clearly realise this.

In a documentary I watched over 20 years ago (in the 1990s), one of the U.S. pilots (crew member) who flew one of the planes that carried a nuke on board went back to Japan to pay his respects.

Your absolutely right about Japan and China! For instance, the Nanking Province in China invasion by Japan forces was very brutal with mass rapes, just like the Russian (Soviet Union) Red Army engaged in brutal mass rapes on entering Berlin, Germany. Sincere apologies on all sides would heal all wounds. War has negative effects, but then countries have to be on guard to defend themselves after negotiations may have failed.


All the best.

AlphaTaikun:

Thank you too @peacefull for stopping by on my thread.

I wish you and all Japanese citizens the best and hope we all learn insightful lessons from former
PM Shinzo Abe's life.


Ciao.

Thank you so much for your kind!
I really appreciate you!!

AlphaTaikun:
Shinzo Abe was married to his wife (Akie) since 1987 without biological kids. This gives deep insights for those in long-term relationships and the importance of TRUE friendship.

Awesome insights about a great Japanese internationalist!

Gravitas Plus- The world's fertility rate is falling. Here's why

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaYBezQG3zk
WION · 27 Nov 2021
~~~~~
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/global-decline-of-fertility-rates-visualised/

AlphaTaikun:

@Caseless, you're right. His calmness has a commanding presence. I wish Shinzo and Akie Abe had at least two kids to keep his legacy alive since he comes from a political family.

Just like Shinzo Abe, many Japanese have moved on from the horrendous events of the U.S. Pearl Habour bombings in Hawaii by Japan, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki where those U.S. nukes exploded in 1945.


Lack of forgiveness leads to negative energy on a long-term basis and the Japanese clearly realise this.

In a documentary I watched over 20 years ago (in the 1990s), one of the U.S. pilots (crew member) who flew one of the planes that carried a nuke on board went back to Japan to pay his respects.

Your absolutely right about Japan and China! For instance, the Nanking Province in China invasion by Japan forces was very brutal with mass rapes, just like the Russian (Soviet Union) Red Army engaged in brutal mass rapes on entering Berlin, Germany. Sincere apologies on all sides would heal all wounds. War has negative effects, but then countries have to be on guard to defend themselves after negotiations may have failed.


All the best.

spot-on!

Forgiveness is key, but I wonder how Japan is still being intensely used by the USA to checkmate China. They forgave those who nuke them and antagonize those(Chinese) they invaded their land.

Caseless:
spot-on!

Forgiveness is key, but I wonder how Japan is still being intensely used by the USA to checkmate China. They forgave those who nuke them and antagonize those(Chinese) they invaded their land.

Yeah...Lol. Though the Chinese have been industrializing rapidly since the late 1980s/early 1990s after seeing the economic miracle of the then Emerging Markets of Singapore, Taiwan, and some other South-East Asian countries, the Chinese are NOT fully trusted by India, Japan, Taiwan and many countries in the region because of China's bullish military antics and the threat of potential military invasions.


The Chinese are ready to give any country maximum military response because of their own fears and past military failures. Lol.


Cheers.

AlphaTaikun:

Yeah...Lol. Though the Chinese have been industrializing rapidly since the late 1980s/early 1990s after seeing the economic miracle of the then Emerging Markets of Singapore, Taiwan, and some other South-East Asian countries, the Chinese are NOT fully trusted by India, Japan, Taiwan and many countries in the region because of China's bullish military antics and the threat of potential military invasions.


The Chinese are ready to give any country maximum military response because of their own fears and past military failures. Lol.


Cheers.

If you have been bitten by a snake, you may not appreciate the sight of a rope shaking like a snake.