Abe, who was the country’s longest-serving prime minister and stepped down in 2020 for health reasons, was shot and killed at a campaign event on Friday. A suspect was arrested at the scene, with Japanese police later saying he told them he planned to kill Abe because he believed rumors about Abe’s connection to an organization that police have not identified. Tomohiko Taniguchi, a longtime business journalist who later served as a special adviser to Abe’s cabinet, told As It Happens guest host Ginella Massa that as someone who had held power for so long, Abe was a “prime target” for someone with “fantasy views of the world.” The following is part of their conversation. Shinzo Abe was your friend and colleague. What went through your mind as you learned of his tragic death? I heard the news about noon today, and I couldn’t believe it…. The sense of disbelief was followed by terrible anger — anger toward the criminal. And now I feel very sad, empty. I am speechless, even emotionless. It’s a funny feeling. Abe’s former adviser Tomohiko Taniguchi described his friend as someone who “never lost his cool” and was “always willing and ready to get his message across.” (Submitted by Tomohiko Taniguchi) Abe became the youngest prime minister [since the Second World War] in 2006. He was also the longest serving leader of the country. What made him stand out and have such longevity? He was the second prime minister. The first term was not a success. He developed his acute illness, ulcerative colitis, and then [for] he was out of office for five years. Then a new drug was introduced that gave very good treatment for ulcerative colitis. So when he returned to office for the second time [in 2012], he was almost like a reborn politician. He became a different man, very committed to bringing about real changes in the Japanese economy and Japan’s national security arrangements, with some successes and some failures. But overall, he stayed in office longer than anyone else in Japan’s modern history because he won national elections six times in a row. What do you think he would see as his greatest political achievement? Japan was surrounded by three non-democratic nuclear-powered nations: Russia, North Korea, and China. He wanted to eventually forge a peace treaty with Putin’s Russia, aimed at reducing tensions in the north, which [did not end in] success. But for Japan to survive and remain stable in this environment, it is vital that Japan has allies and partners. Based on this assessment, he, along with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, succeeded in forging the [Trans-Pacific Partnership] free trade agreement. He also brought Japan closer to Europe by forging a free trade agreement between the EU and Japan. And, on the national security front, he finally succeeded in allowing Japan’s armed forces to cooperate with those of the United States, which was crucial to strengthening the joint US-Japan deterrent against countries such as China and North Korea. Korea. How does the country react to this shocking news of his untimely death? It’s too early to say, but I would say that this will be remembered as a day that people will talk about for a long time about what you did when you heard the news, similar to what you saw in the United States when JFK was assassinated . And … the fact that gun violence is so rare in Japan. It is indeed. And I was very curious to know what kind of weapon the criminal used. And it turned out to be homemade and so it was a one-off, sort of weapon. He couldn’t use it again. And at his home, police found similar weapons being manufactured. Although Japan prohibits the possession of personal weapons, how could you prevent such an isolated attempt from happening? Shortly after being shot, Abe, center, falls to the ground in Nara, western Japan. Police later said the suspect in the shooting used a weapon that was apparently homemade. (Kyodo News/The Associated Press) Any idea why anyone would want to hurt Abe? For he was such a towering figure, and he stood in his place for a long time. For example, elementary school students know none other than Shinzo Abe as Prime Minister. So it was a prime target for someone like this criminal, who might have imagined views of the world. Abe eventually resigned, again due to his health. And there was a sense, I think, of unfinished business for him. What do you think was his hope for Japan’s future? Well, he wanted to pursue dual goals to boost the Japanese economy. [And the way to do that] is to encourage the younger generations, and it is very difficult in a country where the population is aging. And I think the effort should continue. And on the national security front, the same thing. There is no other option for Japan but to strengthen its relations with like-minded maritime democratic nations. This is the path opened by Shinzo Abe. And I think it’s going to be a bipartisan agreement, I would say, that this path should be taken.
The late Shinzo Abe’s legacy in Canada
Canada’s former ambassador to Japan Ian Burney says he is “in a state of shock” over the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Burney says Abe knew Canada very well and was instrumental in negotiating a key free trade agreement. There’s the man the public knew, and then there’s the man behind closed doors. How do you remember your friend Shinzo Abe? Someone who never lost his cool and someone always willing and ready to get his message across, the Japanese message that is. And it succeeded in bringing Japan, once again, to the center of the Indo-Pacific region. What was his personality like? They call him warm and authentic. Did you get to see it up close? Sometimes I thought that if I died now, my wife would cry, and I think Shinzo Abe would be the one to comfort her. You know, that’s the image one has of Shinzo Abe. Interview produced by Morgan Passi. The story was written by Kate McGillivray.
