Shinzo Abe’s death anniversary: Remembering the life and legacy of Japan’s longest-serving Prime minister

Introduction

Born on September 21, 1954, in Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Abe hailed from a prominent and powerful political family. The son of a former Foreign Minister of Japan, Shintaro Abe and the grandson of a former prime minister, Nobusuke Kishi, Mr. Abe attended Seikei University, where he studied political science, and later went on to study public policy at the University of Southern California.

Abe began his political career in the 1980s when he worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1993, he was elected to the lower house of the Japanese Diet representing the Yamaguchi prefecture. He quickly gained prominence within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), one of Japan’s major political parties. After serving as the Chief Cabinet Secretary in the government of prime minister Junichiro Koizumi from 2005 to 2006, Abe’s first tenure as the Prime Minister began in September 2006 after the resignation of Mr. Koizumi. However, this first term was relatively short-lived and he resigned in September 2007 on grounds of health issues.

Abe and the LDP returned to power by seizing a sumo-sized win in December 2012. During this second tenure, Abe was known for his strong leadership, charisma, and dedication to Japan’s growth and development. He was also committed to enhancing Japan’s relations with other countries in the region, including India. Deeply committed to Japan and having a strong love for his country, he saw Japan as a key player in the global political, economic and security landscape and worked tirelessly to enhance Japan’s influence in the world. That is why he holds a lasting place in his country’s public imagination.

Contribution to the growth and development of Japan

Mr. Abe’s three-pronged economic strategy popularly known as ‘Abenomics’ was a combination of fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms. The policies included increased government spending, deregulation and flexible fiscal policy to bolster growth while managing debt to kickstart Japan’s stagnant economy. The results produced by these policies were quite positive but utterly inconsistent. However, in terms of structural reforms, Abe made possible the entry of more women into the workforce, which was a part of his policy of ‘womenomics’ to counter the aging population problem. He also worked on easing the rules that restricted the entry of migrant workers. He also introduced work-style- reforms (hatarakikata kaikaku) to counter the problem of dangerously long working hours and wide unequal gaps between the wages of regular and nonregular workers.

Moreover, Abe also introduced a policy of Society 5.0 which focused on the use of technology to improve productivity and efficiency. It promoted the use of cutting-edge technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, smart technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) to help the Japanese government in dealing with issues such as their aging population, education, agriculture and climate change as well as in enhancing Japan’s competitiveness in the global economy.

In the year 2014, Mr. Abe’s government reinterpreted Japan’s post-war pacifist constitution. Although Japan has long had a de facto military in the form of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, Article 9 of its constitution forbids the maintenance of a standing army. Mr. Abe’s reinterpretation in this sense would allow Japan to exercise collective self-defense and Japanese forces to aid an ally under attack. However, a reinterpretation of the constitution could not be realized due to Japan’s aversion to military conflicts and persistent opposition even from within the LDP. He established a "National Security Council" in 2018, which analysts have referred to as "the most ambitious reorganization of Japan's foreign and security policy apparatus since the end of World War II". Abe believed that it was essential for Japan to acquire defense and counterstrike capabilities to ensure the country’s continued prosperity and stability, especially in the circumstance of increasing aggression from its neighbors like China and North Korea.

Contribution to Japan’s Foreign Policy and Multilateralism

Japan adopted multifaceted proactive diplomacy during the tenure of Shinzo Abe. Under his leadership, Japan successfully strengthened its ties with its key like-minded allies. He was the brainchild of the strategy of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) as well as the QUAD (a four-member group for security dialogue comprising of USA, Australia, Japan and India) to secure a stable, safe, sustainable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. He realized the importance of this region for ensuring world peace. One of his main goals was to establish and maintain transparent and resilient supply chains to ensure a smooth flow of trade and communication.

During his tenure as the prime minister, Mr. Abe visited over 80 countries pursuing a more assertive foreign policy aiming to position Japan as a major player in the global economic and political landscape. He created a personal rapport and communicated his vision to leaders like Narendra Modi and Donald Trump, convincing them to share its importance and substance. It enabled him to elevate bilateral relations with India and USA to the next level.

Under his leadership, Japan also played a defining role in the negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). He advocated for Japan’s participation in these agreements, which helped expand Japan’s economic ties with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Also, the Japan-EU economic partnership Agreement (EPA) was signed during his tenure. Mr. Abe aimed to position Japan as a key player in regional security issues, including countering North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and addressing tension in the South China Sea. Abe’s various efforts to strengthen relations with various nations including China and South Korea had both successes and challenges. A major stint in the relations came when Abe, ignoring the angry protests from China and South Korea, visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a nationalist symbol honoring the country’s war dead including war criminals from World War 2.

Abe also focused on issues such as global health. A strong advocate for eradicating polio, he doubled Japan’s support for making sure that children everywhere get routine vaccines. He was a fervent supporter of the polio eradication effort. And under his leadership, Japan helped launch a global effort to develop vaccines that will prevent pandemics and became its top donor.

Abe also appealed to world leaders to strengthen trust in the international trading system and pushed countries like India, USA and China to revitalize the WTO. He was committed to forging a free, open and rule-based international order.

A Lasting Legacy of a Visionary Leader

Abe’s tragic departure from the scene of Japanese politics was not only a tremendous shock to the Japanese nation but also created a vacuum in political power. A highly revered global statesman, he built a reliable policy legacy for his government, bringing stability to rather unstable Japanese politics. Current Japanese PM Mr. Fumio Kishida continues to work on Abe’s vision and blueprint for economic or foreign policy. The political class of Japan continues Abe’s agenda of having a much stronger defense capability and a much more proactive security policy. However, the newly emerging challenges may lead the new leaders to change the course of Japan’s diplomatic relations depending on the priorities and strategies of future leaders. Only time will tell the extent to which Mr. Abe’s legacy will continue but his tenure has without a single doubt shaped Japanese domestic and international policies to a great extent. Future leaders will continue to build upon his achievements and address new challenges ultimately shaping the direction and continuation of his legacy- A controversial but consequential iconoclast leader who wanted a Japan that is strong and ‘normal.’