Shinzo Abe Dies After Being Shot

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By Alastair Gale Follow  and George Nishiyama Follow

Updated July 8, 2022 5:06 am ET

TOKYO—Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died after being shot during a speech on Friday, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing officials in the country’s ruling party.

Mr. Abe, 67, was Japan’s longest serving prime minister and was shot while campaigning for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for a national election on Sunday.

Mr. Abe, who was prime minister until late 2020 and was one of Japan’s best known but most polarizing politicians, was shot in the chest and near the neck by a man who approached him from behind as he spoke at around 11:30 a.m. local time in the city of Nara, according to witnesses, authorities and video footage.

Mr. Abe was flown to a hospital by helicopter soon after the incident and was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest, an official at the local fire department said.

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An emotional current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the shooting struck at “an election, the foundation of democracy.” He called it a “despicable, barbarous act that we absolutely cannot allow.”

Video footage showed officials pinning a man to the ground near Mr. Abe shortly after two loud bangs similar to those from fireworks rang out. Nearby, a device lay on the ground that appeared to be two metal pipes bound together with tape, video footage showed.

NHK said police were investigating the possibility that the device used to shoot Mr. Abe was homemade. Local police couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

The suspect, a man in his 40s, was upset with Mr. Abe and decided to try and kill him, according to testimony he gave to the police, NHK said. The broadcaster said the suspect was a member of the Japanese navy, or Maritime Self-Defense Force, for about three years through 2005. The defense ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

An aerial view of the site where former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot on Friday.

PHOTO: KYODO/VIA REUTERS

Attacks on politicians, especially with firearms, are rare in Japan due to strict gun control laws. The last known case of an assassination with a gun of a prominent politician was in 2007, when the mayor of Nagasaki was shot by a member of a right-wing group.

Mr. Abe was the leader of the largest faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and wielded strong influence in the government despite standing down as prime minister in September 2020.

While he was its longest serving leader, Mr. Abe’s policy of increasing Japan’s security role in the region by strengthening its ties with the U.S. divided the public. His critics also said his economic policies of monetary easing, fiscal stimulus and structural reform, known as “Abenomics,” exacerbated inequality.

Mr. Kishida said he was summoning his entire cabinet back to Tokyo and was seeking to learn more about the background of the alleged shooter.

Mr. Kishida was on the campaign trail for the election and returned to Tokyo by helicopter after Mr. Abe was shot.

The shooting prompted concern from major political leaders around the world.

“Shocking news from Japan that former PM Shinzo Abe has been shot—our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote on Twitter.

U.S. ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in a statement: “We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.”

He added: “Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the United States. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, and people of Japan.”

Opposition leaders in Japan, who normally stand against Mr. Abe politically, were united in denouncing his shooting.

“This is a barbarous act that cannot be permitted,” said Kenta Izumi, head of the leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party. “This shouldn’t happen in a democracy like ours.”

Write to Alastair Gale at alastair.gale@wsj.com and George Nishiyama at george.nishiyama@wsj.com

Appeared in the July 8, 2022, print edition as 'Shinzo Abe, Ex-Leader Of Japan, Shot at Speech'.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/shinzo-abe-former-japanese-prime-minister-collapses-during-a-speech-11657250233?mod=hp_lead_pos1 

Shinzo Abe, Former Japanese Prime Minister, Dies After Being Shot

Shinzo Abe Dies After Being Shot

Abe in 2015KO SASAKI FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died after being shot during a speech on Friday, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing officials in the country’s ruling party.

NHK reported that police said Mr. Abe was shot in the chest and around the neck. The suspect, a man in his 40s, was upset with Mr. Abe and decided to try to kill him, according to testimony he gave to the police, NHK reported.

Mr. Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, was perhaps the country's best known current politician, both in Japan and overseas. He was the de facto leader of the largest faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and wielded strong influence in the government despite standing down as prime minister in September 2020.

The attack happened while he was campaigning for the party's candidates in a national election of the upper house of the Diet on Sunday.

7 min ago

Shinzo Abe Dies

By Alastair Gale and George Nishiyama

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died after being shot during a speech on Friday, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing officials in the country’s ruling party.

Mr. Abe, 67, was Japan’s longest serving prime minister and was shot while campaigning for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for a national election on Sunday.

Mr. Abe, who was prime minister until late 2020 and was one of Japan’s best known but polarizing politicians, was shot in the chest and near the neck by a man who approached him from behind as he spoke at around 11:30 a.m. local time in the city of Nara, according to witnesses, authorities and video footage.

Read full article.

37 min ago

Suspect in Abe Shooting Named as Tetsuya Yamagami, a Local Resident

By Miho Inada

Tetsuya Yamagami was detained near the shooting site on Friday in Nara, Japan.

KATSUHIKO HIRANO/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Police confirmed that the man detained following the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is Tetsuya Yamagami, a resident of Nara, where the incident took place.

A police spokesman said Mr. Yamagami, 41 years old, was arrested at 11:32 a.m. local time on suspicion of attempted murder. His occupation is unknown, but the Defense Ministry said a person with the same name was in the navy, known as the Maritime Self-Defense Force, from 2002 to 2005.

The weapon used in the attack was "some kind of gun," the police spokesman said, indicating that it appeared to be an improvised device.

It couldn't be immediately determined if Mr. Yamagami had a lawyer.

1 hour ago

Shooting Suspect Didn't Have Political Grudge Against Abe, Media Report

By Alastair Gale

The Yamato Saidaiji station in Nara, where Shinzo Abe was shot.

MIHO INADA/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

The man detained by police after shooting Shinzo Abe has told police he had no political grudge against the former prime minister, according to local media reports.

Mr. Abe is a divisive figure who championed a more muscular military and wanted to revise Japan's pacifist constitution, but failed to win enough political support to do so while in power. A nationalist, Mr. Abe also thought Japan shouldn't keep apologizing for its past colonization of other Asian countries. He emphasized close ties to the U.S. and developed a friendship with former President Donald Trump, including by playing golf together.

Mr. Abe bolstered the nation’s defense with new weapons, new amphibious forces and a law allowing Japanese forces to cooperate more closely with the U.S. outside Japan’s borders.

After stepping down as prime minister in 2020, Mr. Abe said Japan should discuss the possibility of sharing nuclear weapons, as is practiced by NATO, challenging a nuclear taboo in Japan since the country was the target of U.S. nuclear attacks in 1945.

Someone with the same name as the suspect in Mr. Abe's shooting was a member of Japan's navy, known as the maritime self-defense force, from 2002 to 2005, the defense ministry said, declining to provide further details.

1 hour ago

Taiwanese President Tsai Calls Abe Our ‘Most Loyal Best Friend’

By Joyu Wang

The shooting of Shinzo Abe got heavy media coverage in Taiwan on Friday.KYODONEWS/ZUMA PRESS

Friday’s shooting in Nara came as a shock to many in Taiwan, a former Japanese colony, where its ruling government now sees Tokyo–and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe himself–as a close ally in the face of growing Chinese influence in the region.

In response, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, calling Mr. Abe “Taiwan’s most loyal best friend,” said she was shocked and saddened by the news “like everyone else,” according to a Facebook post published Friday afternoon.

“Hope there will be good news soon about our good friend,” said Ms. Tsai, while condemning the violence.

The shooting of Mr. Abe also received heavy media coverage almost immediately after the incident was learned about in Taiwan, dominating local news headlines.

In one news segment, the former Japanese prime minister was described as “pro-Taiwan,” featuring one of his recent remarks on a possible military conflict in Taiwan that he said “will definitely become a crucial situation” affecting Japan’s security.

1 hour ago

Abe Shooting Rarity in Nation with 'Zero' Gun Ownership

By George Nishiyama

Police officers at the scene where former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot Friday.KOSUKE OKAHARA/BLOOMBERG NEWS

In Japan, when police use their guns in the line of duty, it makes headlines—even when they are firing warning shots into the air. That’s emblematic of where guns stand in the country.

Strict gun-control measures mean that firearms are almost non-existent among the general public, and gun attacks, like the one against former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday, are rare.

There have only been a handful of assassinations of lawmakers after World War II. In 1960, the head of an opposition party was fatally attacked during an election campaign speech with a knife. The last known case of an assassination with a gun of a prominent politician was in 2007, when the mayor of Nagasaki was shot by a member of a right-wing group.

Japanese law limits gun ownership to the police and the military, and for exhibit purposes. It also allows for gun licenses for hunting and sports shooting, but only after rigorous background checks.

As a result, the number of civilian firearms per 100 people is 0.3, according to a 2018 study by the Small Arms Survey. That compares with 120.5 for the U.S. Guns obtained illegally are mostly in the hands of crime syndicates that sometimes have ties to right-wing organizations.

Video footage of Friday’s attack on Mr. Abe showed the suspect holding a device that appeared to be two metal pipes bound together with tape. Public broadcaster NHK said police are investigating whether a handmade device was used in the attack.

The flipside to the rarity of gun violence is the lack of tight security at many public events including political rallies. While special security police often accompany former prime ministers, the public can approach politicians relatively freely especially at local rallies.

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1 hour ago

China's Foreign Ministry Reacts to Abe Shooting