Japan has a lengthy history of assassinations committed for political reasons. Following the attempted murder of Shinzo Abe, his supporters are more determined than ever to get his contentious ambitions through.
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| [Shinzo Abe funeral] |
The murder of Shinzo Abe has left Japan in a state of profound disbelief. On July 8, 2022, the former prime minister was attending an election rally when he was fatally shot and killed on the street. The measure has been denounced as a threat to the democratic process by politicians of every stripe and persuasion. The reasons of the culprit are the subject of conjecture in the mainstream media, which inevitably led to a debate about the politics of the politician, who was immensely important but also controversial till the end of his life.
It is a known fact that the assassin worked for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces between the years of 2002 and 2005 and that he has a good working knowledge of several firearms. During the investigation of the perpetrator's flat, the police discovered more guns as well as explosives. The criminal had used a shotgun that he had built himself to conduct the crime. It may also be shown beyond a reasonable doubt that the offender had ill will against a religious community that the victim, Abe, was affiliated with. It would seem that the assassin's mother was a member of the organization and had given them all of her possessions. His anger was first aimed not only at Shinzo Abe but rather at the religious group, the identity of which has not yet been formally revealed.
For many years, Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have made efforts to improve their electoral base by cultivating relationships with local religious congregations. The emphasis was placed on organizations affiliated with the Shinto faith of Japan, which in turn had strong links to the "Japan Conference," a body that advocates for conservative, right-wing causes ( Nippon Kaigi ). Abe, however, was also involved in the production of films for events held by other religious organizations. This may have given the assassin the impression that Abe had some kind of unique connection to these organisations. In spite of this, it is still unknown what the findings of the investigations being conducted by the police will be in the weeks to come.
Through the course of Japanese history, political violence has not been a rare occurrence. Toshimichi Okubo, the leader of the Japanese government at the time, was murdered in 1878 by a critic of the government, which occurred before Japan adopted the cabinet system. Former Japanese Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito, who was murdered in 1909 and was regarded as the "Bismarck of Japan," was killed. The culprit was a Korean independence fighter who wanted to bring attention to the difficulties that were occurring with the colonialism of Korea at the time. The perpetrator's motivation was to attract attention to the concerns. A zealot of the right-wing was responsible for the assassination of Prime Minister Takashi Hara in 1921 at Tokyo Central Station. After another nine years, a right-wing extremist took his life by taking the life of Prime Minister Osachi Hamaguchi. Hamaguchi was able to survive the attempted assassination, but he succumbed to the injuries he incurred one year later. The assassination of Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai in 1932 brought an end to the period of party cabinets in Japan and ushered in the reign of the military as the most powerful institution in the country. In 1960, Abe's grandfather, who was Prime Minister at the time and went by the name Nobusuke Kishi, was shot by a member of a right-wing extremist organization; nonetheless, he was able to survive the attack. A few time later, a right-wing fanatic took the life of Inejiro Asanuma, the head of the Socialist Party, when he was giving a speech in front of live television cameras. Both in 1990 and 2007, there were attempts made on the life of the Mayor of Nagasaki. While Hiroshima Motoshima was lucky enough to survive the assault in 1990, Iccho Ito did not have the same good fortune in 2007 and passed on a day after the attack. In 1960, Abe's grandfather, who was Prime Minister at the time and went by the name Nobusuke Kishi, was shot by a member of a right-wing extremist organization; nonetheless, he was able to survive the attack.
A few time later, a right-wing fanatic took the life of Inejiro Asanuma, the head of the Socialist Party, when he was giving a speech in front of live television cameras. Both in 1990 and 2007, there were attempts made on the life of the Mayor of Nagasaki. While Hiroshima Motoshima was lucky enough to survive the assault in 1990, Iccho Ito did not have the same good fortune in 2007 and passed on a day after the attack. In 1960, Abe's grandfather, who was Prime Minister at the time and went by the name Nobusuke Kishi, was shot by a member of a right-wing extremist organization; nonetheless, he was able to survive the attack. A few time later, a right-wing fanatic took the life of Inejiro Asanuma, the head of the Socialist Party, when he was giving a speech in front of live television cameras. Both in 1990 and 2007, there were attempts made on the life of the Mayor of Nagasaki. While Hiroshima Motoshima was lucky enough to survive the assault in 1990, Iccho Ito did not have the same good fortune in 2007 and passed on a day after the attack. Both in 1990 and 2007, there were attempts made on the life of the Mayor of Nagasaki. While Hiroshima Motoshima was lucky enough to survive the assault in 1990, Iccho Ito did not have the same good fortune in 2007 and passed on a day after the attack. Both in 1990 and 2007, there were attempts made on the life of the Mayor of Nagasaki. While Hiroshima Motoshima was lucky enough to survive the assault in 1990, Iccho Ito did not have the same good fortune in 2007 and passed on a day after the attack.
Even though the news of Abe's death is still fresh, many have already started talking about the political legacy he will leave behind. There is a broad range of perspectives on Abe since he was a controversial character. The fans of the conservative politician are already hailing him as a martyr, despite the fact that it is not yet evident if the motive for the murder was political in character. On the other hand, many who disagree with his nationalist direction caution against glossing over the contentious political tactics that Abe has taken. "We'll take Japan back" is a political slogan used by Abe that is evocative to "Take America Back," which is a phrase used by Donald Trump. Steve Bannon, who served as national security advisor to Donald Trump in the past, allegedly referred to Abe as "Trump before Trump."
Particularly contentious was Abe's plan to increase the flexibility with which Japan approaches matters of national security and military strategy. The country was sharply torn apart by the security regulations implemented in 2015. Pacifism is strongly ingrained in Japanese culture, in no little part as a result of the events that transpired during the Second World War and the detonation of atomic bombs over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This belief in nonviolence is even written into the constitution, in the form of the well-known Article 9. Abe's legislation, which aimed to support the United States in military operations beyond those related to national defense, was met with widespread rejection and prompted the largest anti-government demonstrations since 1960. This was the year that Abe's grandfather Nobusuke Kishi pushed through the extension of Japan's military alliance with the United States. Abe's legislation also aimed to support the United States in military operations related to national defense.
In addition to this, Abe was notorious for his propensity to brush over Japan's bloody military history. Abe was skeptical that it was accurate to define Japan as an aggressor during World War II because of its participation in the conflict. Instead, Japan was dragged into the war without its will, and all it could do was defend itself. In addition, the war crimes committed by Japan are not any more heinous or abhorrent than those committed by other belligerent parties, such as the United States of America – a reference to the disputed use of atomic bombs. His words were received with a mixture of shock and disgust around the world, but particularly in China, the two Koreas, and China.
The fact that the attempted murder of Shinzo Abe took place not long before the election for the Japanese upper house made it an especially combustible event. However, forecasts had already expected a comfortable win for the LDP even before Abe's assassination, and the election outcome brought no shocks to the table. The incumbent party and its coalition partner secured an overwhelming majority of seats, while almost all of the opposition parties were defeated. The Constitutional Democracy Party (PKD), the biggest opposition party, saw its percentage of the vote decrease and ended up winning just 17 seats, while the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) took 63 of the 125 available seats. In addition, the percentage of eligible voters who cast ballots was only slightly higher than it was in the previous election.
It is not yet clear if the attempt on Prime Minister Abe's life will have a more significant effect on the political climate in Japan over the course of the next several years. The members of the LDP who support Abe will work to encourage the party to make even more of an effort to realize their leader's objectives, which may include amending the constitution. Because of the escalating security concerns in the area, Prime Minister Abe and those who support him have been pushing for more than a decade to have Article 9 of the Constitution of 1946, which mandates such revisions, amended. Japan "forever renounces war as a sovereign right of the country and the threat or use of force as a tool to settle international conflicts" in this article. Some Japanese lawmakers believe that the country's constitution places too many limitations on Japan's military capabilities, despite the fact that Japan's Self-Defense Forces are among the best-equipped forces in the world. Surveys indicate that the majority of people in the country continue to be opposed to the idea of revising Article 9, but the LDP's fresh election success on July 10 should motivate the party to insist on Shinzo Abe's plan being fully implemented.
The author, Professor of modern Japanese history at Sophia University in Tokyo and head of the office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Japan, Dr. Sven Saaler is also the director of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Japan.
(c)Through IPG