Shinzo Abe — Japan’s longest-serving prime minister

Published July 8, 2022
Japan’s then-prime minister Shinzo Abe attends the construction completion ceremony of the New National Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. — Reuters/File
Japan’s then-prime minister Shinzo Abe attends the construction completion ceremony of the New National Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. — Reuters/File

Shinzo Abe smashed records as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, championing ambitious economic reform and forging key diplomatic relationships while weathering scandals.

Nearly two years after poor health forced him to leave office, the 67-year-old was shot dead during a campaign event on Friday.

Abe was a sprightly 52 when he first became prime minister in 2006, the youngest person to occupy the job in the post-war era.

He was seen as a symbol of change and youth, but also brought the pedigree of a third-generation politician groomed from birth by an elite, conservative family.

Abe’s first term was turbulent, plagued by scandals and discord, and capped by an abrupt resignation.

After initially suggesting he was stepping down for political reasons, he acknowledged he was suffering an ailment later diagnosed as ulcerative colitis.

Read: Abe — nationalist blue blood at home, shrewd diplomat abroad

This picture taken on July 6 shows former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe raising his arms with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party candidate Keiichiro Asao after he delivered a campaign speech for the Upper House election in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo. — AFP/File
This picture taken on July 6 shows former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe raising his arms with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party candidate Keiichiro Asao after he delivered a campaign speech for the Upper House election in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo. — AFP/File

They called it ‘Abenomics’

The debilitating bowel condition necessitated months of treatment but was, Abe said, eventually overcome with the help of new medication.

He ran again, and Japan’s revolving prime ministerial door brought him back to office in 2012.

It ended a turbulent period in which prime ministers changed sometimes at the rate of one a year.

With Japan still staggering from the effects of the 2011 tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster at Fukushima — and a brief opposition government lashed for flip-flopping and incompetence — Abe offered a seemingly safe pair of hands. And he had a plan: Abenomics.

The scheme to revive Japan’s economy — the world’s third-biggest, but more than two decades into stagnation — involved vast government spending, massive monetary easing, and cutting red tape.

Abe also sought to boost the country’s flagging birth rate by making workplaces more friendly to parents, particularly mothers.

He pushed through controversial consumption tax hikes to help finance nurseries and plug gaps in Japan’s overstretched social security system.

This file photo taken on July 11, 2018, shows Japan’s then-prime minister Shinzo Abe (C) visiting a shelter for people affected by the recent flooding in Mabi, Okayama prefecture. — AFP
This file photo taken on July 11, 2018, shows Japan’s then-prime minister Shinzo Abe (C) visiting a shelter for people affected by the recent flooding in Mabi, Okayama prefecture. — AFP

While there was some progress with reform, the economy’s bigger structural problems remained.

Deflation proved stubborn and the economy was in recession even before the coronavirus struck in 2020.

Abe’s star waned further during the pandemic, with his approach criticised as confused and slow, driving his approval ratings down to some of the lowest of his tenure.

Political storms

On the international stage, Abe took a hard line on North Korea, but sought a peacemaker role between the United States and Iran.

He prioritised a close personal relationship with Donald Trump in a bid to protect Japan’s key alliance from the then-US president’s “America First” mantra, and tried to mend ties with Russia and China.

But the results were mixed: Trump remained eager to force Japan to pay more for US troops stationed in the country, a deal with Russia on disputed northern islands stayed elusive, and a plan to invite Xi Jinping for a state visit fell by the wayside.

This file photo taken on May 26, 2019, shows Japan’s then-prime minister Shinzo Abe (R) and then-US President Donald Trump smiling before playing a round of golf at Mobara Country Club in Chiba. — AFP
This file photo taken on May 26, 2019, shows Japan’s then-prime minister Shinzo Abe (R) and then-US President Donald Trump smiling before playing a round of golf at Mobara Country Club in Chiba. — AFP

Abe also pursued a hard line with South Korea over unresolved wartime disputes and continued to float plans to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution.

Throughout his tenure, he weathered political storms including cronyism allegations that dented approval ratings but did little to affect his power, in part thanks to the weakness of the opposition.

Abe had been due to stay on until late 2021, giving him an opportunity to see out one final event in his historic tenure — the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games.

But in a shock announcement, he stepped down in August 2020, with a recurrence of ulcerative colitis ending his second term too.

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