Shinzo Abe facts
On 8th July 2022, Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot by a handmade shotgun while delivering an election speech in Nara. Unresponsive and showing no vital signs immediately after being shot, the ex-Premier succumbed to his wounds and was officially pronounced dead at around 5pm JST on the same day.
1. He was Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister
Image credit: Anthony Quintano
Serving his term as the Prime Minister of Japan for 9 years, Shinzo Abe is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Japanese history. Besides a brief stint from 2006 to 2007, the former Prime Minister took office again in 2012, until he resigned from the position in 2020.
2. He resigned from his post twice
Image credit: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Though the 67-year-old served 9 years as Prime Minister, his term was not without turbulence. After replacing Junichiro Koizumi and assuming the position in 2006, he stepped down abruptly after 1 year in office due to his struggles with ulcerative colitis.
Again, in his second term in 2020, he resigned from his post, citing deteriorating health conditions and a resurgence of the above-mentioned chronic disease.
3. His younger brother was adopted by another family
Image credit: U.S. Secretary of Defense
Born into a nuclear family of 5, Shinzo Abe was originally the middle child, being sandwiched by 2 brothers. However, his younger brother, Nobuo Kishi, was adopted by his maternal uncle, and Abe subsequently lived as the youngest child in the family.
Coincidentally, his younger brother is also a politician, serving as Japan’s Minister of Defense since 2020. Like Abe, Kishi is also a member of Nippon Kaigi, an ultra-conservative and right-wing organisation in Japan.
4. He came from a family of politicians
Image credit: Anthony Quintano
In a country where political dynasties show no sign of abating, it’s no surprise that Shinzo Abe had a political pedigree. Besides his younger brother, both his grandfather and father were also politicians. Nobusuke Kishi, the former, was Japan’s premier in the late 1950s. He was also a notorious war criminal who brutally ruled Manchuko during World War 2.
Though his credentials are less impressive, Shintaro Abe, his father, was an active politician and served as Japan’s foreign minister in the early 1980s.
5. There’s an economic policy named after him
Image credit: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
In a bid to improve Japan’s economy that has been stagnating since the 1990s, Abe proposed a series of reforms that was dubbed “Abenomics”, after he assumed office again in 2012.
In essence, there were 3 main policies – massive monetary stimulus, increased government spending, and economic reforms – implemented in order to revitalise the economy and tackle deflation in the country.
That said, the success of Abe’s economic policies remains debatable, as the third policy is noted by critic to be less effective than what Abe’s government had hoped.
6. Masks distributed during COVID-19 inspired a bunch of internet memes
Image credit: The Japan Times
At the peak of the pandemic, then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced in April 2020 that the government would be distributing 2 face masks to every household in the country.
Unfortunately, the announcement was not exactly well-received, with netizens taking to social media to voice their dissatisfaction by using the hashtag #マスク2枚 (masuku nimai; 2 masks), spawning a meme fest.
A viral meme featuring the family of 8 from Sazae-san, forcibly sharing 2 masks.
Image credit: @punxjk
Besides displeasure with the ill-thought-out policy, many netizens also pointed out that the government-sponsored masks were too small and uncomfortable to wear. Abe was spotted several times in public events with the ill-fitting mask, and alas, the term “Abenomask” was quickly coined and popularised.
7. He was a salaryman before he ventured into politics
Image credit: Hudson Institute
Despite his stellar resume, Shinzo Abe was an ordinary salaryman before he started to pursue a career in politics. From 1979 to 1982, he worked at Kobe Steel, a major steel manufacturer in Japan. Though it was a short 3-year stint, he regarded his office worker era as his “origins” and his entry into working society.
Shinzo Abe facts about Japan’s former Prime Minister
While the former Prime Minister held controversial views vis-a-vis his nationalist stance throughout his term, it is a sad day in the history of Japan as we mourn the loss of an influential figure and recoil from the act of barbaric violence. Our deepest condolences to Abe’s family, colleagues, and all who are affected by his passing. Rest in peace, Shinzo Abe.
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Cover image adapted from: Anthony Quintano
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