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Shinzo Abe

Shinzo Abe was the prime minister of Japan from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2020. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history and was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was fatally shot by a gunman while delivering a speech on behalf of another politician in the city of Nara on July 8, 2022. The gunman was identified as a 41-year-old local man who was a veteran of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and said he was frustrated with Abe.

Born

21 Sep 1954

Industry

Politics

Job Title

Former Prime Minister of Japan

last updated:

7 October, 2024

Shinzo Abe

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago dinner with Akie Abe raises questions about Japan-US ties

Analysts believe the meeting, held before a scheduled meeting with current Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, could be a tactic to pressure him to uphold ties with the US.

Donald Trump hasn’t met Japan’s new PM yet. But he has hosted Shinzo Abe’s widow

Editorial | Trump a good reason for China, Japan thaw

India, Japan boost defence ties with eye on China in Indo-Pacific: experts

A proposed reciprocal supply and services pact is the next logical step to growing bilateral ties amid the Indo-Pacific framework, analysts say.

Is Japan’s Ishiba too ‘weak’ to deal with Trump? Split views on talks

Conservatives urge Ishiba to wait until his domestic political position stabilises, while others say avoiding Trump could pose greater risks.

How should Indo-Pacific leaders deal with Trump 2.0? Analysts say get personal

Shinzo Abe, Japanese prime minister during Trump’s first term, is cited as an example of how to work with the US president-elect.

Japan’s ruling coalition loses majority, election outcome in balance

The LDP, which has ruled Japan for almost all of its post-war history, and junior coalition partner Komeito won just 215 seats.

Japan PM Ishiba’s defence reforms face election hurdle with expected LDP losses

Polls suggest the LDP will lose a number of seats in Sunday’s elections, with voters focused more on domestic issues than foreign policy.

Man firebombs Tokyo headquarters of Japan’s ruling party

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is increasingly unpopular with the Japanese public due to a ballooning money scandal.

Japan axes Russia cooperation post in sign of tougher Moscow stance

The move reflects Tokyo’s growing frustration at stalled negotiations over disputed islands and marks a departure from Shinzo Abe’s policies.

Japan has a problem with ‘lone-wolf’ attacks. Can a new police unit stop them?

Experts warn that the isolated nature of such attackers makes them difficult to prevent, raising questions about the unit’s effectiveness.

Video | Will Japan’s economy recover under a new leader?

The island nation slipped into recession in 2024, losing its status as the world’s third-largest economy.

As Ishiba bids to be Japan’s PM, LDP conservatives may prove stumbling block

Observers say Ishiba’s chances are low amid a crowded field, and he may struggle to broaden party support base ahead of leadership election.

Japan’s ministers visit Yasukuni shrine on World War II anniversary

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who plans to step down in September, stayed away, sending an offering instead. No serving Japanese prime minister has visited Yasukuni since Shinzo Abe in 2013.

Japan LDP at crossroads with Kishida’s exit – can opposition take advantage?

Several LDP members have put their names in the hat to succeed Fumio Kishida as the party aims to recover from a string of scandals.

Japan steps up security for politicians, VIPs after Trump rally shooting

Incident has echoes of Shinzo Abe’s killing by a lone gunman two years ago, although analysts say it is too soon to compare the attacks.

2 years after Abe’s shooting, ‘second-generation’ church members struggling

Second-generation Unification Church members are still struggling with the impact of being born into a family of avid followers, such as being denied access to higher education or employment.

The View | Japan stock rally peters out as investors wake up to another lost decade

Japan has squandered its chances to properly raise interest rates, abandon the weak yen policy and put strong reforms in place.

‘I’ll blow up Koike’s office’: threats hit politicians ahead of Tokyo poll

Experts say incidents involving Yuriko Koike and Renho Murata stem from simmering ‘latent anger’ against the country’s existing social order.

As Japan slips down press freedom scoreboard, is its compliant media to blame?

Japan ranked the lowest among G7 nations in Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 World Press Freedom Index. Observers say it’s because the country’s media has been shaped into a ‘good servant’ of the political class.

Japan’s ruling LDP punishes 39 members in funds scandal, urges 2 to quit party

But opposition lawmakers say the party’s probe failed to fully bring to light the facts surrounding the slush funds and are set to demand further scrutiny.

‘A serious offence’: Singapore jails man for threatening PM Lee on Facebook

Kong Chee Kian said someone should assassinate Lee following the shooting of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.

Japan’s LDP imposes tougher party rules after fund scandals

With the revision, the LDP can urge a lawmaker to leave the party following prosecution for violating the political funds control law.

Japan’s gender gap the widest among OECD countries, World Bank study shows

Japan is ranked 73rd out of 190 countries surveyed in an assessment of equality between genders, below the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Nepal and Lesotho.

As scandals rock Japan, most of its people unsupportive of a political party

The poll is also the first time since November 2012 that the number of people indicating no political affiliation has exceeded 50 per cent.

Calls grow for Japan’s Kishida to fire minister over Unification Church ties

But even as PM Kishida reels from the blow ahead of a potential election, analysts say he is ‘likely to survive’ as the opposition is ‘just not ready to take over’.

Opinion | How Kishida’s disappearing Japanese premiership is a gift to China

Embroiled in political scandal, deeply unpopular and increasingly irrelevant, Kishida cannot push the economic reforms Japan needs to be a counterweight to China.

Why Japan is reportedly reaching out to Donald Trump ahead of US election

Tokyo is concerned Trump might resume his ‘bromance’ with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which could threaten Japan’s security.