Shinzo Abe: Japan’s longest-serving prime minister after the war and his political legacy

As the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, Shinzo Abe’s “Abenomics”, his persistent pursuit of amending the Constitution of Japan, and his strategic layout in Indo-Pacific geopolitics have profoundly shaped the landscape of Japan and East Asia in the 21st century. By gaining an in-depth understanding of the political leanings of this conservative leader, you can also take an 8values political values orientation test to compare the manifestations of different ideologies in national governance.

Shinzo Abe (Japanese: Shinzo Abe/あべしんぞう, September 21, 1954 - July 8, 2022) was a famous Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister (90th, 96th, 97th, 98th, 99th term) and president of the Liberal Democratic Party. He is the longest-serving prime minister in Japan's constitutional history, breaking the record held by his uncle Eisaku Sato. Abe was born into a prominent political family and is known as "a family of three prime ministers." The core of his political philosophy lies in conservatism , national normalization , and boosting Japan's long-term sluggish economy through Abenomics .

On July 8, 2022, Shinzo Abe was shot and killed while giving a street speech in Nara City. He was 67 years old. This incident shocked the world and marked the end of an era in Japanese politics.

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Influence from a political family and the path to politics

Shinzo Abe was born into a prominent political family in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. His grandfather, Hiroshi Abe, was a member of the House of Representatives; his maternal grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, was an important political figure in Japan after World War II. He served as Prime Minister and led the revision of the "US-Japan Security Treaty"; his father, Shintaro Abe, served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and was a powerful figure in the Liberal Democratic Party. In such a family environment, Abe has been exposed to politics since he was a child and was deeply influenced by his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi's "independent constitution" and "strong Japan" ideas.

In 1977, after Abe graduated from the Political Science Department of Seiki University Law School, he went to the University of Southern California for further studies. After returning to China, he briefly worked at Kobe Steel, which laid the foundation for his future understanding of corporate operations and economic policies. In 1982, he officially entered politics as secretary to his father, Shintaro Abe.

Abe was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1993 from the constituency he inherited after his father's death. He rose rapidly within the Liberal Democratic Party, especially for his tough stance on the issue of North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals , winning high popularity. In 2006, 52-year-old Shinzo Abe was elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party for the first time and became prime minister, becoming Japan's youngest post-war prime minister. However, due to frequent scandals in the cabinet and his own health (ulcerative colitis), he resigned after only one year in his first term.

Back to the top: Abenomics and economic revival

After five years of dormancy, Shinzo Abe won the 2012 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election and led the Liberal Democratic Party to regain power in the subsequent House of Representatives election, beginning an eight-year run in power.

Faced with Japan's long-term deflation and economic stagnation, Abe launched the famous "Abenomics" . This policy is called the "Three Arrows" :

• Bold financial policy: Through the Bank of Japan’s large-scale quantitative easing (QQE), it sets an inflation target of 2% and attempts to boost exports by devaluing the yen.
• Flexible fiscal policy: Increase public utility expenditures and stimulate domestic demand through government fiscal intervention.
• Structural reforms (growth strategy): including deregulation, promoting female employment (feminomics), attracting foreign investment, and signing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Although "Abenomics" has achieved remarkable results in increasing corporate profits, reducing unemployment, and boosting the stock market (the Nikkei Index has rebounded significantly), its impact on the growth of ordinary people's real wages has been limited, and it has led to the further expansion of Japan's debt scale. When analyzing this kind of conservative economics that uses state intervention in the market, participating in the 8values political value orientation test can help you identify your own preferences for the trade-off between "interventionism" and "marketization."

Political Core: The Dream of Constitutional Amendment and "Normal Nationalization"

Shinzo Abe's greatest ambition in his political career is to amend the Constitution of Japan , especially Article 9, which has pacifist characteristics. He believed that this constitution was imposed on Japan by the occupying force (the United States) and limited Japan's defense rights as a sovereign nation.

In order to achieve this goal, Abe adopted a "detour tactic":

1. Establishing the National Security Council (NSC): Strengthening the decision-making power of the official residence in the fields of diplomacy and security.
2. Passage of security-related bills: In 2015, despite strong opposition from the opposition parties, the Abe government passed the security bill in Congress, which legally lifted the right to collective self-defense and allowed Japan to provide military assistance when its allies were attacked.
3. Increase defense spending: During his tenure, Japan's defense budget achieved "eight consecutive increases" and introduced high-end weapons including F-35 fighter jets and Izumo-class helicopter destroyer modifications.

Although Abe was unable to complete the formal revision of the constitution until he left office, his interpretation of the constitution actually greatly expanded the scope of activities of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, making Japan take a key step towards becoming a so-called "normal country."

Diplomatic Strategy: A Free and Open Indo-Pacific

Shinzo Abe is considered one of Japan's most outstanding diplomatic strategists after the war. He is well versed in the balance of the game between great powers, and he proposed "global diplomacy" and visited the most countries in history.

One of its core diplomatic achievements is the proposal of the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" (FOIP) concept. This idea was later accepted by the United States, Australia and India and developed into the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD). Through this framework, Abe has strengthened Japan's security presence in the Indo-Pacific region, aiming to deal with the increasingly complex regional situation.

Abe has shown great flexibility in handling relations with the United States. Before Donald Trump took office, he was the first foreign leader to meet with him. He established a close personal relationship through "golf diplomacy" and ensured the stability of the Japan-US alliance in a dramatically changing international environment.

In terms of relations with China, Abe has adopted a dual strategy of "separation of politics and economy" and "strategic reciprocity." During his first term, he visited China to start an "ice-breaking trip." After taking office for the second time, although relations were cold due to the Yasukuni Shrine and territorial disputes, he later pushed bilateral relations back on track through economic and trade cooperation.

Controversy, Scandal and Health Trials

Abe's governance has not been smooth sailing, and his long-term governance has also brought about questions about the arrogance of power caused by the "powerful official residence" . He has been involved in several political scandals, most notably:

• Moritomo Gakuen and Kake Gakuen issues: Accused of using their influence to benefit cronies and related groups.
• "Cherry Blossom Viewing Party" Controversy: Criticized for using public funds to entertain supporters, suspected of violating the Public Office Election Act.
• Visiting the Yasukuni Shrine: In 2013, Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine as Prime Minister, which triggered strong protests from neighboring countries such as China and South Korea and a "disappointed" statement from the United States. He has since changed to offering sacrifices to maintain balance.

In 2020, as the global COVID-19 epidemic raged, Abe's crisis management capabilities were challenged. Due to long-term high-pressure work, his old disease ulcerative colitis relapsed. On August 28, 2020, Shinzo Abe announced his resignation as Prime Minister and was replaced by Yoshihide Suga.

Fall and Subsequent Impact: The Unification Church and Social Aftershocks

The shooting incident on July 8, 2022 not only claimed the life of Abe, but also revealed the huge hidden scars in Japanese society. The suspect Tetsuya Yamama said that his motive was because his mother’s huge donation to the “Family Federation for World Peace and Unification” (formerly the Unification Church) caused the family to break up, and he believed that Abe was the organization’s solid backing in politics.

This incident triggered a deep reflection among the Japanese people on the relationship between the Liberal Democratic Party and emerging religions. Subsequent investigations revealed that a large number of Liberal Democratic Party members had ties to the Unification Church, which led to dramatic fluctuations in support for Kishida's cabinet. Abe's funeral was held in the form of a "state funeral", but this caused huge controversy in Japanese society at the time about expenses and political evaluation.

Personal life, anecdotes and public image

Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe have been married for many years. Although they have no children, they are known for their deep relationship. Abe Akie has a cheerful personality and often shares her life on social media. Her political views sometimes even conflict with her husband's, and she is nicknamed the "opposition party within the family."

Abe himself is mild-mannered but extremely tenacious in his political goals. He loves reading and sweets, and he also actively promotes Japan's cultural soft power. At the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics, he appeared as "Super Mario" , which became a very creative and approachable moment on the diplomatic stage, successfully building momentum for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Shinzo Abe’s vision for technology and society

• Society 5.0: Abe proposed the concept of "Society 5.0", which aims to solve Japan's low fertility rate and aging problems through artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and robotics.
• Womenomics: He publicly called for the establishment of a "society where women can shine." Although in actual implementation, the advancement of Japanese women's workplace status is still slower than expected.

Historical evaluation and political heritage

Shinzo Abe’s influence is complex and multidimensional:

• Stable leader: He ended the turbulent situation of "nine prime ministers in ten years" in Japanese politics and provided Japan with long-term strategic stability.
• Reshaper of regional order: through QUAD and TPP (later CPTPP), he left an indelible mark on multilateral trade and security.
• Divided evaluation: His supporters believe that he is a patriot who defends national interests; while his opponents believe that he has destroyed the spirit of Japan's peaceful constitution and aggravated the conservatism and rightward shift of society.

As historians have pointed out, Shinzo Abe is the most powerful and controversial political figure in Japan in the 21st century. He tried to find a balance between the postwar order and the dream of a great power.

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References and further reading:

1. A biography of Shinzo Abe "Toward a Beautiful Country"
2. Official document of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan on "Free and Open Indo-Pacific"
3. "Asahi Shimbun" and "Yomiuri Shimbun" have a ten-year review feature on Abenomics