Shinzo Abe

Shinzo Abe was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, serving for almost nine years in total. Abe also served as Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2005 to 2006 under Junichiro Koizumi and was briefly the opposition leader in 2012. Abe was born into a prominent political family in Tokyo and was the grandson of Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. Abe was known for his conservative and nationalist views, and one of his chief policy goals was a modification of Japan’s pacifist postwar constitution. He also pursued a more assertive foreign policy, especially towards China and North Korea, and advocated for stronger ties with the United States. He promoted a set of economic policies dubbed "Abenomics", which aimed to revive Japan's stagnant economy through monetary easing, fiscal stimulus, and structural reforms. He also sought to improve Japan's relations with other Asian countries, especially India and Australia, and to expand Japan's role in global affairs. Abe faced several challenges and controversies during his tenure, such as the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the Moritomo Gakuen scandal, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He resigned in September 2020 due to health reasons, citing a recurrence of ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga, his former chief cabinet secretary. On 8 July 2022, Abe was shot and killed by a gunman while giving a campaign speech in Nara, in an assassination that shocked and angered the nation. He was mourned by leaders and dignitaries from many countries, and was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor, and the Junior First Rank, Japan's highest honor. He was also the first former prime minister to receive a state funeral since Eisaku Sato in 1975.