At a political gathering in the western city of Nara, Mr. Shinzo Abe, 67, was shot twice from behind as he was speaking. Two severe neck wounds that ruptured an artery caused him to bleed to death. Since the 1930s, no Japanese premier has been assassinated in office or in the past. According to media reports, the shooter is a 41-year-old guy named Yamagami Tetsuya. He has been answering questions quietly and without emotion.
Officers advise the adjacent inhabitants to leave their homes after discovering explosives at the unemployed suspect’s residence. Pictures taken at the scene reveal what looks to be a homemade gun. According to authorities, it was built of a combination of materials including metal and wood. It is yet unknown if it was created using a 3D printer and whether the parts were purchased online. He appears to be in the video clip’s isolated frame just before the shooting. Police dragged him to the ground while he was wearing a grey T-shirt and beige pants. He claimed to have worked for Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force for three years, according to investigators. He allegedly told police he was angry with Mr. Abe and intended to murder him, according Japanese state network NHK. However, Kyodo News claimed that he had not been driven by resentment of Mr. Abe’s political views.
Mr. Abe arrived at Nara Medical University Hospital with no vital signs and severe cardiac damage. He was never revived. As Mr. Abe haemorrhaged for four hours, more than 100 units of blood were transfused. Mr. Abe slumped, holding his chest as his shirt was covered with blood. NHK aired a video of security personnel approaching him. A plume of white smoke could be seen as he spoke during a campaign address in front of a train station on the eve of Sunday’s upper house elections in Japan. During Mr. Abe’s remarks, a reporter on the site reported hearing two bangs in quick succession.
The prime minister, Fumio Kishida, called the “act of cruelty” “completely reprehensible.” He has requested that the entire cabinet go back to Tokyo. A free and fair election, according to Mr. Kishida, must be upheld at all costs, and voting will take place on Saturday. Mr. Kishida expressed his admiration for Mr. Abe’s legacy. Absolutely impeachable, regardless of the circumstances. Since there are strong gun laws in Japan, political violence is uncommon there. According to authorities, there were just 10 gun-related criminal cases in a country of 125 million people last year, with one fatality and four injuries. Eight of the cases—the majority—had gang connections. Hirokazu Matsuno, chief cabinet secretary, declared that “a savage act like this is totally inexcusable, no matter what the grounds are.” The departing prime minister, Boris Johnson, called Mr. Abe’s passing “very sad news.” President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen described Mr. Abe as a “beautiful person, great democracy, and advocate of the multilateral world system.” The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, declared that the “heinous act of violence has no excuse.”
Simply put, Shinzo Abe was Japan’s most influential, well-known, and longest-serving post-war prime minister. Anyone who has been following recent foreign developments will be familiar with his large hair and happy face. In order for Japan to act as the size of its economy, he sought to change its post-war timidity on the international arena into a more forceful prominent role. He believed it was worth it, even though it meant overcoming opposition to proposals to raise defence spending. Shinzo Abe was seen up close on the international stage by Alexander Downer, the former Australian foreign minister and chairman of the Policy Exchange. While some believe he went too far, accusing him of erasing Japan’s imperialistic and wartime past, his admirers argue that he was right to lead the nation in seeing the necessity to foresee the threat posed by a rising Russia, a meddling China, and a nuclear-armed North Korea. Prior to resigning in 2020, Mr. Abe served two terms as prime minister, making him Japan’s longest-serving leader. He cited a recurrence of a long-standing health issue as his reason. His ulcerative colitis started while he was a teenager. He has continued to be the leader of one of the main factions in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and to be a strong advocate for a more assertive and powerful Japan. Both at home and among allies, his tenacity and determination will be sadly missed.
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