Skip to main content
MENU
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • LOGIN
  • Subscribe
  • Topics
    • Alternatives
    • Consultants
    • Coronavirus
    • Courts
    • Defined Contribution
    • ESG
    • ETFs
    • Face to Face
    • Hedge Funds
    • Industry Voices
    • Investing
    • Money Management
    • Opinion
    • Partner Content
    • Pension Funds
    • Private Equity
    • Real Estate
    • Russia-Ukraine War
    • SECURE 2.0
    • Special Reports
    • White Papers
  • Rankings & Awards
    • 1,000 Largest Retirement Plans
    • Top-Performing Managers
    • Largest Money Managers
    • DC Money Managers
    • DC Record Keepers
    • Largest Hedge Fund Managers
    • World's Largest Retirement Funds
    • Best Places to Work in Money Management
    • Excellence & Innovation Awards
    • WPS Innovation Awards
    • Eddy Awards
  • ETFs
    • Latest ETF News
    • Fund Screener
    • Education Center
    • Equities
    • Fixed Income
    • Commodities
    • Actively Managed
    • Alternatives
    • ESG Rated
  • ESG
    • Latest ESG News
    • The Institutional Investor’s Guide to ESG Investing
    • ESG Sustainability - Gaining Momentum
    • ESG Investing | Industry Brief
    • Innovation in ESG Investing
    • 2023 ESG Investing Conference
    • ESG Rated ETFs
  • Defined Contribution
    • Latest DC News
    • DC Money Manager Rankings
    • DC Record Keeper Rankings
    • Innovations in DC
    • Trends in DC: Focus on Retirement Income
    • 2023 Defined Contribution East Conference
  • Searches & Hires
    • Latest Searches & Hires News
    • Searches & Hires Database
    • RFPs
  • Research Center
    • The P&I Research Center
    • Earnings Tracker
    • Endowment Returns Tracker
    • Corporate Pension Contribution Tracker
    • Pension Fund Returns Tracker
    • Pension Risk Transfer Database
  • Careers
  • Events
    • View All Conferences
    • View All Webinars
    • 2023 ESG Investing
    • 2023 Private Markets
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. INTERNATIONAL
July 08, 2022 08:45 AM

Ex-Japan leader Abe assassinated in shooting

Bloomberg
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Abe070822_i.jpg
    The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Imag
    Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes a street speech before being shot in front of Yamatosaidaiji Station on July 8, 2022 in Nara, Japan.

    Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — Japan's longest-serving premier and a figure of enduring influence — died after being shot at a campaign event Friday in an attack that shocked a nation where political violence and guns are rare.

    Mr. Abe, 67, was shot from about 10 feet away with what appeared to be a homemade firearm in the western city of Nara, as he was giving a campaign speech at an outdoor venue for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party ahead of the July 10 upper house election. Video and images from the scene showed the former premier collapsing to the ground, with blood on his shirt after two loud blasts rang out.

    Mr. Abe was flown by helicopter to Nara Medical University Hospital, where he had no vital signs upon arrival, said Hidetada Fukushima, the doctor who treated Abe, at a news conference. The former premier suffered two gunshot wounds to his neck and injuries to his chest. He was pronounced dead at 5:03 p.m. local time, a little more than five hours after he was shot.

    The current prime minister, Fumio Kishida, who served as foreign minister under Mr. Abe, denounced the loss of his "good friend" in what he described as an act of "despicable barbarism."

    Related Article
    After Abe, more Abenomics — for better or worse

    "He loved this country and always looked one step ahead of the times," Mr. Kishida said. "He was a great politician who left many achievements in terms of developing the future of the country in various fields. To lose him in such a way is a great sadness."

    The premier said the vote July 10 would go ahead as planned and his government would do its utmost to ensure security, adding elections are the foundation of democracy. The LDP's ruling bloc had been expected to keep its majority in the upper house even before the shock.

    Leaders from across the world paid tribute to Mr. Abe, who was a defining and sometimes divisive figure for Japan as the country navigated economic stagnation and China's rise next door. He was a security hawk, a fiscal dove, a defender of Japan's alliance with the U.S. and an advocate for maintaining the postwar global order.

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Mr. Abe as "a towering global statesman, an outstanding leader and a remarkable administrator." U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken called Mr. Abe an "extraordinary partner" whose death was "profoundly disturbing in and of itself, it's also such a strong personal loss for so many people."

    Former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose favor Mr. Abe sought to gain early on, called the fallen premier a "true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America." While some nationalists in China cheered Mr. Abe's death, the Chinese government expressed "shock" and offered its condolences for a leader whom it said had made contributions to improving ties between the two rivals.

    The initial market reaction to the news that Mr. Abe had been shot was a rush to haven assets. The yen climbed alongside U.S. Treasuries, with the currency rising as much as 0.5% against the dollar.

    The person suspected of shooting Mr. Abe was identified by local media as Tetsuya Yamagami, a local 41-year-old veteran of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. He told police he intended to kill Mr. Abe because of frustration with the former premier, national public broadcaster NHK said, adding that investigators removed explosives from his home after a search.

    The incident was one of Japan's highest profile acts of political violence since World War II. World leaders extended condolences for Mr. Abe, who spent more time as premier than anyone since Japan established the office in the 1880s.

    "He was the single most powerful politician in Japan. He clearly had the ability to set the political agenda in ways that others — including Kishida — do not," said Tobias Harris, a senior fellow for Asia at the American Progress think tank who has written a biography of Mr. Abe.

    Japan is a country with some of the strictest gun laws among leading economies and shootings are rare. But political violence still occurs from time to time: In 2007, Iccho Ito, the mayor of Nagasaki, died after being shot twice by a member of an organized crime gang. The last time a current or former Japanese prime minister was shot was 90 years ago.

    There were few details about the weapon used in the attack on Mr. Abe. Video from the scene showed what appeared to be two long tubes wrapped together with black tape on the ground at the scene.

    Mr. Abe's record-setting run brought stability to Japan after a revolving door of six administrations, including a previous stint where he served as leader. Mr. Abe helped Japan escape from a cycle of deflation, endured a Trump administration that questioned the nation's only military alliance, and worked to improve ties with its biggest trading partner China, which were at their most hostile in decades when he took office.

    The first Japanese premier born after the country's defeat in World War II — and a vocal defender of its postwar record — Mr. Abe sought to end apologies for past imperialism and reinterpreted the country's pacifist constitution to loosen restrictions on the military. He nonetheless managed to stabilize relations with China, where a wave of anti-Japanese protests had raged in the weeks before his second election as leader.

    Mr. Abe also devoted energy to trying to resolve a World War II territorial dispute with Russia, which has simmered for seven decades, lavishing hospitality on Vladimir Putin, in a policy that was reversed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

    Mr. Abe is perhaps best known for his plans to revive Japan's flagging economy through unprecedented monetary easing and regulatory reform that was eventually labeled "Abenomics." He has been seen as a steady hand who consolidated power during his record run and was able to overcome scandals, including one that came to light in 2017 over questionable government land allocations for schools provided to associates of Mr. Abe and his wife, Akie.

    Longtime Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, a key partner in implementing Mr. Abe's economic vision, said he felt "very sorry" for his former colleague's passing.

    "Former Prime Minister Abe has achieved many results toward the end of prolonged deflation and sustainable economic growth," Mr. Kuroda said. "I pay sincere tribute to his strong leadership and dedication to our economy."

    Related Article
    Managers say Abe resignation won’t derail Japan’s policy efforts
    No sweeping change expected after Abe's departure
    Recommended for You
    U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson steps down amid Cabinet resignations
    U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson steps down amid Cabinet resignations
    Guy Opperman 750_i.jpg
    U.K. Pensions Minister Guy Opperman resigns
    Boris Johnson hit by resignations, putting U.K. premiership in danger
    Boris Johnson hit by resignations, putting U.K. premiership in danger
    Innovations in DC: Moving Ahead on Retirement Outcomes
    Sponsored Content: Innovations in DC: Moving Ahead on Retirement Outcomes

    Reader Poll

    March 22, 2023
    SEE MORE POLLS >
    Sponsored
    White Papers
    The Need for Speed in Trend-Following Strategies
    Global Fixed Income: Volatility and Uncertainty Here to Stay
    Morningstar Indexes' Annual ESG Risk/Return Analysis
    2023 Outlook: The Top Five Trends to Monitor in the Year Ahead
    Show Me the Income: Discovering plan sponsor and participant preferences for cr…
    The Future of Infrastructure: Building a Better Tomorrow
    View More
    Sponsored Content
    Partner Content
    The Industrialization of ESG Investment
    For institutional investors, ETFs can make meeting liquidity needs easier
    Gold: the most effective commodity investment
    2021 Investment Outlook | Investing Beyond the Pandemic: A Reset for Portfolios
    Ten ways retirement plan professionals add value to plan sponsors
    Gold: an efficient hedge
    View More
    E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS

    Sign up and get the best of News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    Subscribe Today
    December 12, 2022 page one

    Get access to the news, research and analysis of events affecting the retirement and institutional money management businesses from a worldwide network of reporters and editors.

    Subscribe
    Connect With Us
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn

    Our Mission

    To consistently deliver news, research and analysis to the executives who manage the flow of funds in the institutional investment market.

    About Us

    Main Office
    685 Third Avenue
    Tenth Floor
    New York, NY 10017-4036

    Chicago Office
    130 E. Randolph St.
    Suite 3200
    Chicago, IL 60601

    Contact Us

    Careers at Crain

    About Pensions & Investments

     

    Advertising
    • Media Kit
    • P&I Content Solutions
    • P&I Careers | Post a Job
    • Reprints & Permissions
    Resources
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • FAQ
    • P&I Research Center
    • Site map
    • Staff Directory
    Legal
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Request
    Pensions & Investments
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • Topics
      • Alternatives
      • Consultants
      • Coronavirus
      • Courts
      • Defined Contribution
      • ESG
      • ETFs
      • Face to Face
      • Hedge Funds
      • Industry Voices
      • Investing
      • Money Management
      • Opinion
      • Partner Content
      • Pension Funds
      • Private Equity
      • Real Estate
      • Russia-Ukraine War
      • SECURE 2.0
      • Special Reports
      • White Papers
    • Rankings & Awards
      • 1,000 Largest Retirement Plans
      • Top-Performing Managers
      • Largest Money Managers
      • DC Money Managers
      • DC Record Keepers
      • Largest Hedge Fund Managers
      • World's Largest Retirement Funds
      • Best Places to Work in Money Management
      • Excellence & Innovation Awards
      • WPS Innovation Awards
      • Eddy Awards
    • ETFs
      • Latest ETF News
      • Fund Screener
      • Education Center
      • Equities
      • Fixed Income
      • Commodities
      • Actively Managed
      • Alternatives
      • ESG Rated
    • ESG
      • Latest ESG News
      • The Institutional Investor’s Guide to ESG Investing
      • ESG Sustainability - Gaining Momentum
      • ESG Investing | Industry Brief
      • Innovation in ESG Investing
      • 2023 ESG Investing Conference
      • ESG Rated ETFs
    • Defined Contribution
      • Latest DC News
      • DC Money Manager Rankings
      • DC Record Keeper Rankings
      • Innovations in DC
      • Trends in DC: Focus on Retirement Income
      • 2023 Defined Contribution East Conference
    • Searches & Hires
      • Latest Searches & Hires News
      • Searches & Hires Database
      • RFPs
    • Research Center
      • The P&I Research Center
      • Earnings Tracker
      • Endowment Returns Tracker
      • Corporate Pension Contribution Tracker
      • Pension Fund Returns Tracker
      • Pension Risk Transfer Database
    • Careers
    • Events
      • View All Conferences
      • View All Webinars
      • 2023 ESG Investing
      • 2023 Private Markets