TOPIC

/ people

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

Shinzo Abe

Why Japan’s Takaichi is eyeing an ‘easy win’ in India as domestic support drops

The prime minister is looking to make India an ‘important part’ of Japan’s security transition while boosting economic ties, analysts say.

‘Bad signal’: Japan’s Russia outreach puts Takaichi at odds with G7 allies

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}As I see it | Forget Weimar, it’s Japan’s Taisho period we need to talk about

Opinion | As the Quad loses its anchor, China has a chance to act

As the relevance of anti-China groupings such as the Quad and Aukus fades, Beijing and its neighbours have more room for dialogue.

Japan prepares to drop its pacifist mask as the right rises

A right-wing parliamentary supermajority is paving the way for Tokyo to amend its post-war pacifist constitution.

Japan’s PM Takaichi eyes India trip for talks with leader Modi

The leaders plan to discuss strengthening supply chains of critical goods given concerns about China.

Is self-censorship behind Japan’s ‘problematic’ press freedom ranking?

Media insiders say Japan’s press is rarely overtly repressed, but access pressures and newsroom caution still shape what gets reported.

Dozens injured in Japan after man sprays mystery liquid in Tokyo shopping centre

An elderly woman said her throat started ‘stinging and hurting’ as she approached the ATM where the liquid had been sprayed.

Japan’s ‘cutest’ envoy shows Britons how to love Britain

‘He has made me feel more proud to be British than any politician or any figure since I was born,’ a content creator says.

Opinion | The domestic dynamics driving Japan’s remilitarisation

Sanctions, diplomatic warnings and aggressive rhetoric create a perilous loop, reinforcing the very domestic tendencies China seeks to deter.

Asian Angle | Why Japan-China ties can benefit from promoting people-to-people exchanges

Filling the information gap through direct contact between the two peoples can help improve both countries’ public images and ease tensions.

Takaichi to hold talks in Vietnam on economic security, critical minerals

Both sides are expected to discuss cooperation in areas such as energy and artificial intelligence.

Japan’s PM Takaichi tells fellow politician she needs ‘more sleep’

The remark came as Takaichi’s leadership recently hit the six-month mark.

Japan’s Takaichi sends Yasukuni shrine offering, South Korea expresses ‘regret’

Seoul urges Japan’s leaders to ‘face history squarely’ and show through action ‘a sincere remorse for its past’.

Is Takaichi putting Japan’s pacifist constitution on the chopping block?

Goal of changing the post-war system has never been closer, but upper house could still be a stumbling block, analysts argue.

‘Not a reliable ally’: Japan eyes Nato as Trump erodes faith in US guarantees

Tokyo and the transatlantic security alliance have a shared problem: what happens if the US walks away?

Ahead of first Philippine visit since WWII, Japan’s past catches up with troops

Critics oppose the return of Japanese troops over Tokyo’s lack of a formal apology for the wartime abuse of Filipino ‘comfort women’.

Trump’s ‘wind-up doll’? Japan’s PM faces backlash over White House fawning

White House imagery showing Sanae Takaichi cheering for a rock song and laughing at a jibe at Joe Biden left some in Japan feeling ‘ashamed’.

Trump’s biggest cheerleader? Why Japan’s Takaichi is making waves in China

White House photo of Japanese prime minister apparently dancing to a band draws derision on Chinese social media.

Trump compares Iran attack to Pearl Harbour in otherwise positive Takaichi talks

Two leaders tout bilateral relationship and pledge to work cooperatively on trade.

‘Uncompromising’: Takaichi’s meeting with Trump seen as key to China-Japan ties

Neither Tokyo nor Beijing has enough incentive to compromise, observers say, signalling a new reality between Asian giants.

Trump wants Japanese warships in Hormuz. Can Takaichi ‘dodge the bullet’?

The Iran war complicates Trump-Takaichi talks, putting her in a bind between US demands and constitutional limits on military action.

Japanese court upholds order to dissolve Unification Church over donations

The order will take immediate effect, with the group losing its religious corporation tax status and liquidation procedures to begin.

How the Unification Church is facing fallout in Japan from Shinzo Abe’s murder

Critics have called the group a ‘money-making business’, with many people having lost huge sums of money from its ‘spiritual sales’.

Clocking off: is Japan’s culture of overwork finally dying?

The average hours put in by Japanese workers are lower than those of their American and Italian counterparts.

‘Enormous failure’: naked man exposes gaps in Japan’s royal security

Princess Kako reportedly witnessed the chaos firsthand as a shrieking intruder stripped off and scaled a barrier below the royal balcony.

Why China is worried Japan election may prompt change to pacifist constitution

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has already suggested she wants to revise the clause that renounces the use of force to settle disputes.

Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead

The two leaders’ moves into economics despite their lack of knowledge threaten to further destabilise global finance and inflate debt levels.

As I see it | Forget Weimar, it’s Japan’s Taisho period we need to talk about