A Beacon of Hope for Japan's Future: The Great Statesman ABE, Shinzo and His Legacy to Japan

Narendra Modi Shinzo Abe

An article that appeared in Japanese on the October 2024 issue, Number 591, of the Chichi [Pursuit of Knowledge] magazine.

ABE, Shinzo Lives On in Our Hearts?

On July 8, 2022 -- over two years have passed since the tragic day when former Prime Minister ABE, Shinzo was felled by an assassin's bullet. During this time, I have not been visited by grief; rather, what rises within me is an emotion I can only describe as "public indignation."

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Ten days after the incident, I visited the site in front of Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara Prefecture. I was struck by what I saw. The distance between the spot where Abe stood and the position of his assailant was a mere 13 meters -- considerably closer than the 18.44 meters that separate a baseball pitcher from home plate.

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In the middle of the intersection, there was a small enclosure surrounded by low guardrails, perhaps designed to regulate the flow of traffic. Abe had stood within this enclosure, using a beer crate as a makeshift podium for his speech.

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A suspicious figure approached from behind. Had even one person caught sight of him and said, "Excuse me, sir," the attacker would have been stopped, and the crime would have been prevented -- easily and perfectly.

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Why did such a great leader of Japan have to fall so easily to a crime that could have been so effortlessly thwarted? The injustice of it keeps my sense of public outrage from cooling.

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My first encounter with Prime Minister Abe in a professional capacity was in 2007 during his first administration. That summer, I was tasked with drafting the speeches he would deliver in Indonesia and India. During his second administration, I was involved in crafting nearly all his major foreign addresses until his resignation in September 2020. Even after stepping down, he would occasionally call me directly for assistance. This was meant to be my life's work.

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As a speechwriter, my role requires an intense identification with Abe's thoughts and aesthetic standards -- so much so that even now, this habit is hard to break. In the real world, Abe is still alive and active, while I feel as though I have wandered into a world that, although it closely resembles reality, is not quite real.

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With the passing of Prime Minister Abe, Japanese politics has lost a guiding star. It feels as though our nation has become a ship drifting without a captain.

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The "Charismatic Humanity" of Prime Minister Abe?

When discussing ABE, Shinzo as a politician, it is impossible to overlook the influence of his maternal grandfather, KISHI, Nobusuke, often dubbed "The Showa Monster." In reality, Kishi was a cheerful man who doted on his grandson, Abe, with extraordinary affection. Recently, a diary from Abe's elementary school days was discovered, frequently beginning with "Granddad says..." -- a testament to the profound impact Kishi had on Abe's formative years.

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From a young age, Abe was seated on Kishi's knee, absorbing countless stories that would later form the bedrock of his thoughts and ideas. On his father's side, Abe's grandfather was ABE, Kan from Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture, along the Sea of Japan. ABE, Kan was a politician of unyielding principle, with YOSHIDA, Shoin as his revered forerunner. This same bloodline flowed through Prime Minister Abe, whose core beliefs mirrored YOSHIDA, Shoin's emphasis on action over thought and his conviction that Japan's fate was intertwined with his own.

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An illustrative anecdote from Abe's time at Seikei Elementary School speaks to these influences. During a lesson, the teacher remarked that Japan had caused hardship by exploiting the Dutch in Indonesia during the war. Young Shinzo raised his hand and questioned, "Why were the Dutch in Indonesia in the first place?" This reveals that Abe's conservative views were firmly rooted even in his childhood.

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Abe's father, ABE, Shintaro, who passed away just before he could become Prime Minister, was known for his kindness -- a trait that was apparent in Abe from a young age. To describe Abe in a word, he was a man of "friendship." Once formed, his friendships lasted a lifetime. Abe's unique appeal as a politician lay in this combination of conservatism and deep loyalty.

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I, too, have a cherished memory. In August 2007, Prime Minister Abe delivered a speech titled "Confluence of the Two Seas" before the Indian Parliament, introducing the concept of the Indo-Pacific for the first time -- a speech that would later become famous.

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However, at that time, Abe's ulcerative colitis had flared up so severely that he couldn't even eat rice porridge. Before traveling from Delhi to Kolkata to meet the son of Judge Pal, renowned for his dissenting opinion in the Tokyo Trials, Mrs. ABE, Akie pleaded with him, "Let’s return to Japan immediately."

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One month later, Abe was forced to resign. Perhaps because it was such a difficult period, the cheers, applause, and acclamations he received in the Indian Parliament remained especially memorable for him.

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After Abe's passing, I was told by someone that during a reception, Abe, while conversing with that person, suddenly excused himself, saying, "Please excuse me; I see someone over there who wrote the speech I gave in the Indian Parliament. I need to go greet him." And then Abe walked towards me. I had long forgotten such a moment, but the warmth and integrity of Abe, who recognized me and made a point to greet me, deeply moved me once again.

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I believe that even foreign leaders were touched by Abe's warmth. Even those with stern demeanours might have felt Abe's sincere desire to understand them when he gazed into their eyes.

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Leaders like Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China, in their own way, respected Prime Minister Abe. After learning of Abe's death, Xi Jinping sent a personal letter of condolences -- a rare gesture.

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But the closest to Abe's heart was undoubtedly Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. At Abe's state funeral, Modi knelt beside Mrs. ABE, Akie in the front row, placing his hand on her shoulder, offering his deepest condolences -- a display of true friendship.

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From Donald Trump of the United States to Sisi of Egypt, Erdogan of Turkey, Netanyahu of Israel, King Hussein of Jordan, and Tamim of Qatar, countless heads of state and prime ministers held Prime Minister Abe in high esteem. As we witness the current situations in Ukraine and the Middle East, one can't help but think that Japan could have played a more significant role in the world had Prime Minister Abe still been alive.

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Restoring Pride and Hope to the Japanese People?

In September 2013, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as part of Japan's delegation, Abe succeeded in securing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, offering a beacon of hope to Japan's youth. This was the moment when that hope began to shine.

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Initially, there was a sense of resignation among government officials about winning the bid for "Tokyo 2020." However, upon returning as Prime Minister, Abe energized everyone with a "We can't afford to be defeatist!" attitude and threw himself into "top-level sales diplomacy."

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But as the decision day approached, forces opposed to Tokyo's bid launched a campaign claiming that "Fukushima's contaminated water poses a serious threat," pushing Tokyo into a defensive position.

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At that time, while the water within the breakwater directly connected to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was highly contaminated, the fish caught just offshore were safe to eat daily. This had been confirmed by international investigations.

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After much deliberation, Abe decided, the night before the final decision, to include the phrase "the situation is under control" at the beginning of his speech. It was a declaration that only a leader could make, dispelling doubts and securing the bid.

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Despite having switched out the English script the night before, Prime Minister Abe delivered his speech with unprecedented confidence. Watching Abe’s performance, I was so moved that I thought, "If my life were to end here, I would be content."

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Domestically, Abe was criticized in the press, accused of "lying" when he said, "under control." However, "under control" did not mean "there is no problem." It meant "there are problems, but we are managing them." It was an accurate representation of the situation in Fukushima.

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There were also positive reactions. Some said, "The 2020 goal has become a beacon of hope, and now I can work toward it," while a young woman remarked, "Knowing that something bright is waiting for us in the future is wonderful." She had believed she was born in a "nation in permanent decline."

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I thought, "This is it." Abe had managed to tell the younger generation, who had lost hope in the future, that it was not over. That, I believe, was what brought light to Japan, which had been battered by economic stagnation, earthquakes, tsunamis, and the nuclear disaster. And it felt as though Abe had grown as a statesman through this accomplishment.

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From this time, I believe Prime Minister Abe and his administration became strongly aware of their historical mission: to instil hope in the generation that will carry the future. "Hope" became the underlying theme that ran through the administration’s policies. The speech Abe delivered before the Joint Session of the U.S. Congress was centred on transforming the U.S.-Japan alliance into a "Alliance of Hope." In that moment, the U.S.-Japan alliance, once a relic of the Cold War, was reborn as the foundation for the future of the Indo-Pacific.

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At the state funeral, Mr. SUGA, Yoshihide delivered the eulogy as a representative of Prime Minister Abe's friends. In his prepared text, he wrote, "Even now, there are many young people gathered around us," anticipating a scene yet unseen. When I asked the former Chief Cabinet Secretary if he was sure about this, he replied with confidence, "There’s no doubt. I’m certain." And indeed, it came to pass just as he had envisioned.

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Soon after, an online initiative called the "Digital Flower Offering Project" was launched, gathering a vast number of virtual tributes. The leaders of this project then established a "Digital Museum" dedicated to commemorating Prime Minister Abe's achievements through speeches and videos -- a tribute that continues to grow even today.

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This initiative was driven by volunteers, many of whom were in their early thirties. Was there ever a leader, apart from Prime Minister Abe, who garnered such deep respect, admiration, and affection from the younger generation? I believe that the seeds of "hope" sown by Prime Minister Abe are beginning to sprout in the next generation.

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