Shinzo Abe

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been rushed to hospital following a possible shooting during a speech in Nara, Japan, public broadcaster NHK ...

An aerial photo showed emergency vehicles at the scene in Nara, and a small crowd gathered on the sidewalk. The former prime minister was then moved to Nara Medical University. A suspect has been arrested and charged with attempted murder and a gun was retrieved, the broadcaster reported.

Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in heart failure after apparently being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, NHK public ...

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The attack in Nara, which reportedly left the 67-year-old unconscious, shocked a nation where gun violence is extremely rare.

Anyone trying to obtain a gun in Japan needs to apply for a permit, attend a class on gun safety and laws, and pass a written test. Last year, 14 of the 17 shootings in Japan were related to the yakuza, according to the National Police Agency. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was campaigning in Yamagata when the shooting occurred, was headed back to Tokyo and canceling campaign events. Abe focused on reviving Japan’s stagnating economy through a package dubbed “Abenomics,” and sought to expand Japan’s military defenses. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno confirmed that Abe was shot around 11:30 a.m. Friday and said the government is working to confirm his condition. “This is truly an unforgivable act of political terrorism,” said Sanae Takaichi, chairwoman of the party’s Policy Research Council and 2021 prime ministerial candidate.

TOKYO — Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, collapsed and was left unconscious after he was apparently shot on Friday while giving a speech in ...

A crisis management center has been set up in the prime minister’s office, and Mr. Kishida is returning from the campaign trail to Tokyo. He first served as prime minister beginning in 2006, but stepped down after a scandal-plagued year in office. He had hoped that an overwhelming victory by the L.D.P. would enable him to make progress on one of his most dearly held political aspirations: revising Japan’s pacifist Constitution to allow the country to have a standing military. He was unconscious and not showing any vital signs. It’s common for there to be a police presence around famous politicians like Mr. Abe, but disruptions and violence of any type are extremely rare. Hirokazu Matsuno, chief cabinet secretary to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, said that there was a gunshot at 11:30 and that the police have arrested one man. He was then transported to Nara Medical University Hospital, the Nara Fire Department said. Israel’s ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, said he was shocked by the news. Despite its near monopoly on political power, the L.D.P. has been generally unpopular for years. Reports said Mr. Abe had been shot either in the chest or the neck. But he has remained one of the country’s most effective power brokers through his influence on members of his party. Images shared on social media showed a man being tackled after the shooting near Yamatosaidaiji Station.

Mr. Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, is perhaps the country's best known current politician, both in Japan and overseas. He is the de facto leader ...

\n\nHe said he was summoning his entire cabinet back to Tokyo and was seeking to learn more about the background of the shooter.\n\nA national election of the upper house is scheduled for Sunday. Mr. Kishida was on the campaign trail and returned to Tokyo after Mr. Abe, who was also campaigning for the party’s candidates, was shot. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Shinzo Abe is in serious condition and intensive efforts are under way to save his life.\n\nMr. Kishida said the shooting struck at "an election, the foundation of democracy."

Abe's heart is in a "stopped condition," ABC News has learned, and there are no vital signs. PHOTO: People react after gunshots in Nara, western Japan Friday, ...

"Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S.," he said. Authorities have identified the suspect as Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, according to NHK, and he is in custody. The former prime minister was shot in the back and bleeding on-site when he was transported to a hospital.

Police tackled and arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of an attack that shocked many in Japan, which is one of the world's safest nations and has some ...

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Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on Friday after being shot while giving a campaign speech on a street in central Japan, according to public ...

I pray for the best for the former prime minister." The United States stands with Japan in this moment of grief," Biden said in a statement. Abe went into cardiopulmonary arrest at the site of the shooting and was rushed to hospital in a state of cardiac arrest at 12:20 p.m. local time, doctors said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Abe's death "profoundly disturbing in and of itself, it's also such a strong personal loss for so many people." He was believed to have been shot twice, in the chest and neck, NHK reported, citing police. Video aired by the public broadcaster captured the moments before the shooting, showing Abe speaking to a small crowd in front of Yamatosaidaiji railway station. But getting them is a long and complicated process. After Abe was shot but before his death was confirmed, China's Foreign Ministry sent its condolences to Abe's family. I really feel at a loss for words. Since stepping down, he remained in the public eye and regularly appeared in the media to discuss current affairs. on Twitter, adding that Abe was "a leader in the Indo-Pacific, championing a vision of a free and open region." Abe died from excessive bleeding and was pronounced dead at 5:03 p.m. local time, doctors at the Nara Medical University hospital said during a press conference on Friday. The doctors said the bullet that killed the former Japanese leader was "deep enough to reach his heart" and a team of 20 medical professionals were unable to stop the bleeding.

World leaders express shock over assassination of Japan's Shinzo Abe · Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida · U.S. President Biden · Former President Trump.

Driving the news: Boris Johnson resigned as head of the Conservative Party Thursday and said he would step down as prime minister once a new leader was chosen. My thoughts are with his loved ones and the people of Japan," Ruttetweeted. He was a fierce & distinguished leader and a key architect of modern Israel-Japan relations," Lapidtweeted. "He was a champion of the Alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people. - "A wonderful person, great democrat and champion of the multilateral world order has passed away. - "Deeply saddened by the tragic death of former#JapanPM Shinzo Abe. Japan has lost a highly respected politician. He dedicated his life to make Japan and the world a better place," Moditweeted, adding that one day of national mourningwill be observed on Saturday. - "He was working for peace and stability in Japan and the world," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a press conference. Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy." My thoughts are with his family, friends and the Japanese people. My deepest condolences to his family, PM@kishida230& the people of #NATO’s partner #Japanat this difficult time," Stoltenberg tweeted. The big picture: Abe was shot while giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara Friday morning.

Abe, modern Japan's longest-serving prime minister, held the top office from 2012 to 2020 after a brief previous stint as leader.

He also became a particularly vocal critic of Beijing’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific after leaving office. Abe also enacted laws to allow Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to fight alongside allies overseas, in a move that particularly angered China. The economic policies he pursued during his second stint in office, dubbed “Abenomics,” were intended as shock therapy for an economy that had become stagnant after a lengthy postwar boom.

Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, died after being shot twice while giving a campaign speech, sending shock waves through the political ...

- Target:Up to 60% off - Target Promo Code You may cancel your subscription at anytime by calling Customer Service. Police arrested a 41-year-old man who they said approached Mr. Abe from behind as he gave a speech in the city of Nara and fired twice with what appeared to be an improvised firearm.

A Martinez speaks with Michael Green, formerly Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about former Japanese Prime Minister ...

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Mr. Abe served as Japan's prime minister from 2012 to 2020, but left office with reaching his goals of transforming the economy and giving the military ...

In a relative sense, Mr. Abe’s leadership was designed for low drama to avoid the missteps of his first time as leader. He was the first foreign leader to visit Donald Trump after his election victory in 2016 — even as many other U.S. allies were keeping a distance. Mr. Abe appeared to be at the apex of his political rise, but upheavals in his government — including allegations of doling out illegal farm subsidies — soon stole the limelight. The subsidies probe apparently led to the suicide of Mr. Abe’s agriculture minister, Toshikatsu Matsuoka. Mr. Abe stepped down after just one year, citing medical issues and sending his party into disarray. It gave Mr. Abe a first chance to test his economic agenda, which became known as the “three arrows”: easier borrowing, increased government spending, and other economic changes aimed at revamping the economy to deal with issues such as an aging population and an ossified bureaucracy. At an early age, Mr. Abe appeared to be being groomed to take his place in the center-right LDP. Mr. Abe served as executive assistant to his father, who was then foreign minister. At the same time, he pushed hard to expand Japan’s military capabilities in the face of a rising China and a nuclear-armed North Korea, planning for new bases on islands and boosting defense spending. He returned to Japan for a position at Kobe Steel as it was expanding its international connections. Kishi had been imprisoned by U.S. forces as a potential war criminal after Japan’s surrender, but was later released as part of Washington’s “reverse course” policy to emphasize rebuilding Japan as a Cold War bulwark. His great-uncle, Eisaku Sato, held the previous record as longest-serving prime minister (from 1964 to 1972) and shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974 for his work on nuclear nonproliferation. One of his first official visits outside Tokyo was a tour of the Fukushima site, wearing a mask and blue coveralls.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated on a street in western Japan by a gunman who opened fire on him from behind as he delivered a campaign ...

He told reporters at the time that it was “gut wrenching” to leave many of his goals unfinished. With a population of 125 million, Japan had only 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, resulting in one death and four injuries, according to police. Opposition leaders condemned the attack as a challenge to Japan’s democracy. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun was seen on the ground. Prefectural police in Nara arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack and identified him as Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a former member of Japan’s navy. “I use the harshest words to condemn (the act),” Kishida said, struggling to control his emotions.

Here are photos from the scene when Japan's former leader, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated while giving a campaign speech.

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Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister wanted a more assertive place for his country on the international stage—at the expense of atonement and historical ...

This, in particular, is because, in Japan, until Emperor Hirohito died, in 1989, it was not possible for any public official, let alone any academic, to publicly discuss the role of the emperor and whether the emperor himself, or Japan in the name of the emperor, bore responsibility for these atrocities. And the Americans recognized that this was what he was talking about. That’s when Japanese political leaders really became more public about the positioning of their own parties’ views of Japan’s role in Asia, in a new, more strident way that sought to rewrite how Japan and the Japanese should see it. I just wanted to follow up on the Nanjing Massacre. Americans may know this as the Rape of Nanking, when, in 1937, Japanese soldiers killed hundreds of thousands of Chinese people and raped tens of thousands. However, what is possible to judge is what Abe’s study group continued to do with him continuing to be in charge. He’s a departure insofar as he comes as part of the backlash in the early to mid-nineties to many Japanese leaders, even those within Abe’s own party, beginning publicly to accept Japan’s responsibility for state-sponsored atrocities. And this is why comparing him to Trump and [India’s Prime Minister Narendra] Modi and other extremists—or people with extreme views or people who give voice to extreme views—is apt, because these groups seem to come out of nowhere for a lot of us. And to what degree was this more of the status quo, but just in a more aggressive fashion? Shinzo Abe, the former Prime Minister of Japan, was assassinated on Friday, in the city of Nara. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, Abe had served in Japan’s highest elected office twice: the first time, for a year, starting in 2006, and the second time between 2012 and 2020. By that time, these issues had been much better studied academically and socially within Japan and throughout the world. Abe began in the mid-nineties, when there was an effort to really socially readdress Japan’s wartime role in Asia, after the death of Emperor Hirohito, in the wake of the first “ comfort women” coming forward. During our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, we discussed Abe’s Second World War revisionism, his complicated feelings about America, and why his push to reform the Japanese constitution ultimately failed.

When we learned that Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, had been shot to death in the city of Nara, a surprised colleague ...

Abe’s nationalist agenda was partly a response to a spiritual malaise that had supposedly overtaken Japan in the postwar years, an extension of the trauma of being made to fall to its knees and beg the United States for forgiveness and protection. The final trauma of Abe’s career mostly gets a glancing mention in his obituaries: the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011, which left a deep scar on the Japanese psyche and swept away an incompetent government led by the Democratic Party. It allowed Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party to resume the control that it has maintained over Japan nearly uninterrupted since the 1950s and Abe himself to regain the premiership in 2012 and rule for another eight years, a virtual eon in a country where prime ministers come and go with the seasons. It is easy, too, to imagine him becoming a martyr for the nationalist right, struck down by a world that, for whatever reason, is hostile to Japan’s ambitions. Abe’s main claim to fame as a politician was his campaign to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution, written for the Japanese by America’s occupying forces, so that Japan could assert its military power once more and shake off its de facto status as a vassal state. The bombs were also so annihilative, so awful, that they turned the Japanese into victims and martyrs as well, a countervailing narrative that has persisted ever since. When we learned that Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, had been shot to death in the city of Nara, a surprised colleague commented, “He would be low on the list of political figures you’d expect this to happen to.” In a sense, this is absolutely true, not least because Japan is a place where gun fatalities are nearly nonexistent.

Japan's former leader Shinzo Abe assassinated · He was rushed to the hospital, but showed no vital signs, per NHK. · Police have arrested the suspected shooter, ...

- "He was a dear friend who loved this country," Kishida added. He was assassinated. What he's saying: "Really BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD! Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is dead. - "This is shocking. The big picture: Abe, who was most recently in office from December 2012 to September 2020, was Japan's longest-serving prime minister. There were 10 shootings and one gun-related death in Japan last year,the Washington Post notes.

SEOUL — Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated Friday, stunning a nation where gun violence and political attacks are rare.

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Forced to resign only one year into his term as prime minister after leading his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to an ignominious defeat in upper house ...

It also enabled Japan to assume a leadership role in the pursuit of regional and global economic integration after the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But five years later, he would be back on top of the LDP, setting the stage for a dramatic and unlikely return to the premiership in December 2012. They also wanted to build a national security establishment, complete with a full-fledged defense ministry and a national security council under the prime minister’s leadership that would enhance the government’s ability to manage crises. Back on his party’s backbenches and in opposition after the LDP’s historic defeat in 2009, Abe began to think more seriously about the problem of Japan’s economic stagnation. But five years later, he would be back on top of the LDP, setting the stage for a dramatic and unlikely return to the premiership in December 2012. The scion of a distinguished but controversial political family, it is perhaps not surprising that he would ascend to these heights.

Japan's longest-serving prime minister became perhaps the most transformational politician in the country's post-World War II history.

Mr. Green’s book “Line of Advantage: Japan’s Grand Strategy in the Era of Abe Shinzo” argues that it was Mr. Abe who helped push the West to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions in Asia. “He was chosen for the prime ministership because of a sense in Japan that they were being humiliated by China at every turn,” Mr. Green said. And the American ambassador to Japan in the 1960s, Edwin O. Reischauer, was stabbed in the thigh by a 19-year-old Japanese man; Mr. Reischauer survived and returned to his post as Harvard’s leading scholar of Japanese politics. In addition to showing up at Trump Tower with a gold-plated golf club, he traveled to Mar-a-Lago to celebrate the birthday of Melania Trump, the first lady. In 2012, as Mr. Abe returned to the prime minister’s office, President Barack Obama’s aides worried he was too hawkish, but over time they warmed to him. “What Abe did was transform the national security state in Japan,” said Michael J. Green, a former senior official in the George W. Bush administration who dealt with Mr. Abe often. Mr. Abe pushed further, suggesting that it was time for Japan to establish some kind of nuclear sharing agreement with the United States — breaking his country’s longtime taboo on even discussing the wisdom of possessing an arsenal of its own. China loomed larger, North Korea kept lobbing missiles across the Sea of Japan and Mr. Abe believed that he needed to preserve his country’s relationship with Washington, even if that meant delivering a gold-plated golf club to Donald J. Trump at Trump Tower days after he was elected president. Mr. Abe was not killed for his hard-line views, which at moments triggered street protests and peace rallies in Japan, at least according to initial assessments. His efforts to loosen the restraints on Japan that date back to its postwar, American-written Constitution reflected a recognition that Japan needed its allies more than ever. “We didn’t know what we were going to get when Abe came to office with this hard nationalist reputation,” said Richard Samuels, the director of the Center for International Studies at M.I.T. and the author of books on Japan’s military and intelligence capabilities. “What we got was a pragmatic realist who understood the limits of Japan’s power, and who knew it wasn’t going to be able to balance China’s rise on its own.

Friday's assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in one of the world's safest countries has stunned leaders and drawn condemnation.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped Abe’s killer will be dealt with “swiftly and harshly.” “Really BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD!” he said on his social media platform. The International Olympic Committee praised Abe for his “vision, determination and dependability” that allowed it to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “My thoughts, our thoughts here at the G-20 meeting are with his family, with his friends, and it is with great sadness that we also send our greetings to all the citizens of Japan.” “Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership. “I have fond memories of meeting Mr. Abe and his wife during their visit to the United Kingdom in 2016,” Queen Elizabeth II said in a written statement. “Italy is distraught over the terrible attack against Japan and its free, democratic debate. “Events like this shake us all to the core.” A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service.“ U.S. President Joe Biden said he was “stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened” and offered his condolences to Abe’s family. “This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him,” Biden said. Jordan’s King Abdullah II said he was shocked and saddened by the attack.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died at age 67 after being shot during a speech on Friday in Nara, Japan. Follow here for the latest live news ...

During his term, Abe sought to improve relations with Beijing and held a historic phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2018. 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. 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 came from a family of Japanese prime ministers: Abe was born on Sept. 21, 1954, in Tokyo, to a prominent political family. Abe was first elected to Japan's House of Representatives in 1993, at age 38. His second stint was the longest consecutive term for a Japanese head of government.

Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, died after being shot twice while giving a campaign speech, sending shock waves through the political ...

- Japan’s Shinzo Abe, Former Prime Minister, Is Assassinated You may cancel your subscription at anytime by calling Customer Service. Police arrested a 41-year-old man who they said approached Mr. Abe from behind as he gave a speech in the city of Nara and fired twice with what appeared to be an improvised firearm.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down Friday during a stump speech for a legislative candidate he was supporting. Abe was Japan's prime ...

He's remembered in part as a nationalist, with an unrealized goal of revising Japan's post-World War II Constitution that renounces war. But he returned in 2012 with ambitions of revitalizing the country's suffering economy. The 41-year-old man, a former member of Japan's navy, told police he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him. Video from the scene shows him being pinned down by security. Shinzo Abe's death comes as a shock in a country where gun violence, much less political violence, is exceedingly rare. Phoebe Amoroso:

TOKYO — The assassination of former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe at a political rally on Friday rocked a country where strict firearms laws mean gun violence ...

“On behalf of the Biden family and all of America we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Abe family and the people of Japan,” Biden wrote. The shooting reverberated throughout the country, which has low crime rates and some of the world’s most restrictive gun laws. He died Friday of blood loss less than five hours after being shot in the neck and chest. Akie Abe, the slain leader’s wife, headed back to Tokyo from Nara on Saturday morning, and Abe’s body was transported back in a hearse. Yamagami was arrested on-site and admitted to shooting Abe with a homemade gun, officials said. The campaign for Japan’s upper house resumed Saturday, with candidates and surrogates — including incumbent Prime Minister Fumio Kishida — returning to the trail ahead of Sunday’s election.

The body of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived back at his home in Tokyo on Saturday, a day after he was assassinated in a daylight shooting, ...

While searching the residence, police found multiple types of guns with iron pipes wrapped in adhesive tape, NHK reported -- the guns had three, five, and six such pipes as barrels. People are finding it very much hard to digest the reality," Taniguchi said on Friday. At the time of the shooting, Abe was speaking in support of ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidates ahead of Upper House elections on Sunday, which are still scheduled to go ahead. Police have not named the group. Presidents, prime ministers and other international leaders sent tributes expressing outrage and sadness over the killing. Officials will now meet with the family to discuss funeral arrangements, Abe's office told CNN.

Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, died after being shot twice while giving a campaign speech, sending shock waves through the political ...

- Target:Up to 60% off - Target Promo Code Police arrested a 41-year-old man whom they said approached Mr. Abe from behind as he gave a speech in the city of Nara and fired twice with what appeared to be an improvised firearm. You may cancel your subscription at anytime by calling Customer Service.

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated this morning at a campaign rally in the Japanese city of Nara. The suspected ...

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As news of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe's assassination spread, tributes gushed forth from the social media accounts and websites of presidents, ...

Despite his admiration for his grandfather, he was not a crypto-fascist eager to take Japan back to its pre-1945 past. It may not only have been Abe’s vision for Japan that inspired fierce opposition to his agenda. They wanted to revise the constitution, strengthen Japan’s military and reform the education system, breaking the power of the left-wing teachers union that they believed taught young Japanese a “masochistic” version of Japan’s history, particularly its wartime past. But his ideas also alienated some of the older generations in Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), many of whom had experienced the war and were attached to postwar prime minister Shigeru Yoshida’s vision of a lightly armed Japan that was firmly allied with the United States and focused on its role as a “civilian” economic superpower. At times, Abe’s plans also increased tensions with Japan’s neighbors as well as with the United States. The New Right’s determination to sweep aside “masochistic” history often meant downplaying or denying historical atrocities inflicted on Asian peoples or American prisoners of war. He believed that these institutions – most notably, the education system and the 1947 constitution (written largely by U.S. occupation officials) – prevented Japan from retaking its rightful place among the world’s great powers, reducing it to “subordinate independence” on the United States.

A black hearse carrying the body of Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and accompanied by his wife arrived at his home in Tokyo.

When he resigned as prime minister, Abe blamed a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he’d had since he was a teenager. With a population of 125 million, it had only 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, resulting in one death and four injuries, according to police. But Abe made enemies by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition. Eight of those cases were gang-related. Police confiscated the homemade gun he used, and several others were later found at his apartment. Abe was attacked in the city of Nara and airlifted to a local hospital but died of blood loss despite emergency treatment including massive blood transfusions.

The police said the man charged with killing Shinzo Abe had a “grudge” against a group he associated with the ex-prime minister. Mr. Abe's body was taken ...

“We didn’t know what we were going to get when Abe came to office with this hard nationalist reputation,” said Richard Samuels, the director of the Center for International Studies at M.I.T. and the author of books on Japan’s military and intelligence capabilities. “What we got was a pragmatic realist who understood the limits of Japan’s power, and who knew it wasn’t going to be able to balance China’s rise on its own. There are exceptions for guns used in hunting, but the process of getting a license is time-consuming and expensive, so very few people go through the hassle. A key factor in Mr. Abe’s economic platform was to draw more women into the paid work force, to counterbalance a declining and aging population. While Mr. Abe worked to cultivate diplomatic and trade relations around the world, he never lost sight of his nationalist agenda at home. Police in Nara Prefecture, where Mr. Abe was shot, said the suspect had said he had served in the Self-Defense Forces for three years starting in 2002 but did not specify which branch. Paul Nadeau, a former private secretary and adviser for a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker from 2015 to 2018, said he had attended campaign stops where Mr. Abe was speaking and that security was not overwhelming, even though he was prime minister at the time. It is a voluntarily enlisted force — conscription would be unconstitutional — that has struggled to fill recruitment targets as the country’s population ages and birthrates remain low. The authorities have not said what penalty they will seek for Mr. Yamagami. Japan is one of the few highly developed countries that have capital punishment; six people have been executed by hanging in the past three years. In a news briefing on Friday night, police officials from the Nara prefectural office said Mr. Yamagami had made the double-barreled gun, about 16 inches long and 7 inches wide. At that point, a group of men who appeared to be part of his security detail tackled the gunman to the ground. The prime minister, he believed, had some association with a group against which Mr. Yamagami held “a grudge.”

The assassination of the former prime minister has prompted the world to reflect on his policies and what they actually accomplished.

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Politicians vow not to let assassination of their longest-serving PM stop democratic process, as tributes continue to pour in.

“I followed Abe’s career as prime minister and admired what he was trying to do for Japan. I’ll remember him as someone who faced huge challenges but always came back and carried on. Biden – who earlier said he was “stunned, outraged and deeply saddened” – has ordered flags on US government buildings to fly at half-mast. They bowed and clasped their hands in prayer; some shed tears and lowered their heads again as they turned towards banks of TV cameras. We will honour prime minister Abe’s memory by redoubling our work towards a peaceful and prosperous region.” Meanwhile, tributes have continued to pour in for the leader. They have declined to name the organisation, though several Japanese media outlets described it as a religious group.

A person prays next to flowers laid at the site where late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, ...

The other members, the United States, India and Australia, expressed shock at the assassination in a joint statement. Abe, scion of a political family who became Japan's youngest postwar premier, was rushed to a Nara hospital following the shooting. The lawmaker, 67, served twice as prime minister, stepping down citing ill health on both occasions. Local officials were moving some of the offerings to create space. Police have not identified the group. "Kuni" means nation in Japanese.

Tetsuya Yamagami, the unemployed 41-year-old who confessed to assassinating Shinzo Abe, reportedly planned the attack for months.

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The suspected killer, 41-year-old unemployed man Tetsuya Yamagami, was a former member of the Japanese navy and used a homemade gun in the shooting. NHK reports ...

Since the assassination, crowds of people have come to pay their respects at the site of the shooting in Nara, leaving flowers and bottles of sake. Rather, it will take many weeks, months, and years to determine the true meaning of such a historic murder. A strong showing in Sunday’s election for the LDP could give serious momentum to such efforts. Shinzo Abe led the nation from 2006 to 2007 and 2012 to 2020 atop the center-right Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as a confident, consensus leader after several years of chaotic Japanese politics and the disastrous 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Just as notable was Abe’s push for constitutional reform, seeking to remilitarize Japan in light of the looming threat from China. This latter initiative in particular made Abe a respected figure among Japanese nationalists and far-right extremists and angered Asian neighbors. In 1990, Nagasaki’s mayor survived an attempted assassination, and then in 2007, his successor was shot and murdered by a member of the yakuza.