Another senseless and dastardly act has been committed against humanity, which jolted the people around the world. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan was assassinated last Friday while delivering a campaign speech ahead of the elections set over the weekend in Japan. Gun violence is almost unheard of in the country that has one of the strictest gun laws in the world, together with Denmark and Norway. But his assassin used a homemade gun. His grieving countrymen from all sectors of society lined up the streets to offer flowers and prayers at the site where he was shot and fell.
Mourners were distraught and weeping as they laid flowers outside the train station where he was killed. The suspect was just a couple of meters away from him when the fatal shots were fired, and suspect was immediately tackled to the ground and arrested. He was identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old who claimed that he was a former member of the Japanese navy. The authorities are still looking into the motive of the killing, although it was reported that the suspect had an extreme grudge against an unnamed organization to which the former PM was associated, wrongly or rightly. Had there been strict security measures, Yamagami would have no opportunity to approach Abe and shoot him at close range.
Japan takes pride in claiming that it is one of the safest countries in the world. Crime rate is very low and is the envy of many countries. Last year, the reported crimes in Japan were the lowest since the end of WWII. At present, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Japan and New Zealand have the lowest crime rates. But maybe this has given the Japanese government a false sense of security. Police authorities have become complacent and security measures are laxed. In our country, for instance, the government continues to provide strict security even to former Philippine presidents.
As reported by Nikkei Asia, even the Chief of Police of Nara where the shooting occurred admitted that “when seen as a whole, there were problems in the way security was set up at the Abe shooting site.” It’s ironic that the man who made it a state policy when he was at the helm of the Japanese government to develop stronger defense and national security would die from utter lack of them on his own person.
At the age of 51, he became his country’s youngest Prime Minister after the war. Abe held the PM post from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2020. He stayed in office for a total of nine years, the longest serving Japan PM ever. In August 2020, he resigned from his position due to severe digestive ailment, which had seriously troubled him since he was 17 years old.
He hailed from a prominent and powerful political family in Japan. His grandfather served as Prime Minister of his country. His father, Shintaro Abe, once served as the Foreign Minister of Japan. Since he resigned from his position, Abe remained a member of the Japanese parliament and led the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). While out of office, he was acknowledged as the kingmaker and top powerbroker. He wielded enough influence in selecting his successor and future PMs. It has become de rigueur for LDP leaders to consult him on sensitive issues confronting the country.
Even after his death, he will continue to cast a long shadow over the leaders of his country. During his term, Japan was back on the world stage. He was a respected leader and he excelled in the fields of economy and foreign affairs. He had revived Japan’s economy through a program widely known as “Abenomics,” which allowed him to appropriate more funds for the military. In foreign relations, he promoted a strong alliance with the US and the free world. He established multilateral relations with other countries, particularly the Pacific countries. Former Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull was all praises for him as he recognized his dynamic and flexible leadership.
Time Magazine acknowledged that “Japan became a much more prominent international player” because of Abe’s effective personal diplomacy. He was a skillful statesman who had won the support of many heads of state. This brand of diplomacy was amply demonstrated when he and his wife personally visited President Rodrigo R. Duterte at the latter’s home in Davao City after Duterte assumed office. He was the first head of state that visited a Filipino president at his private residence. No wonder that Duterte called him “a true friend, closer than a brother.”
Abe was known as a peacemaker and a foremost patriot. In an interview with the Time Magazine, he said: “I have made a pledge never to wage war again, that we must build a world that is free from the sufferings of the devastation of war.” But Abe strongly espoused an independent foreign policy and pursued a more assertive position when confronted by the threat and aggression of neighboring China and North Korea. He antagonized China by expressing support to Taiwan and incurred other countries’ distrust by pursuing efforts to rewrite Japan’s pacifist Constitution. The Director of Asian Studies, Jeff Kingston, has said: “He was a political giant. He has been a continued towering presence. His voice carried a considerable weight.” Definitely, Abe’s achievements had boosted Japan’s self-respect. His successors may find it prudent to continue his agenda and become a part of his legacy. He had brought honor and pride to his people who will be forever grateful to his immense work. You can ask the stream of endless people who have filed before his casket to pay their last respect to their fallen hero. Wiping the tears in his eyes, one mourner who traveled from Osaka said: “I told him thank you for everything, and please rest in peace.”