the-newsmakers

Shinzo Abe’s Legacy

In Japan gun violence is extremely rare. So when Shinzo Abe was fatally shot while campaigning for a fellow party member in the western city of Nara, many just couldn't believe it. The former Japanese prime minister was delivering a speech ahead of parliamentary elections when a gunman fired two shots from a homemade firearm. Shinzo Abe was a transformational leader. He crafted decisive, sometimes controversial economic and foreign policies. While some hailed what came to be known as ‘Abenomics’ as a game changer, others say it fell short. Yes there was growth, but not at the rate Japan had once seen and certainly not at the rate the government had projected. Then, there was his foreign policy. Following the Second World War Japan adopted a pacifist constitution. Shinzo Abe wanted to change that. The conservative premier expanded the military, significantly increased defence spending and was rarely afraid of challenging his rivals even after leaving office. Ichiro Fujisaki Former Japanese Ambassador to the US, UN and WTO Nancy Snow Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University Seijiro Takeshita University of Shizuoka Professor

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