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Shinzo Abe

Shinzo Abe was the prime minister of Japan from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2020. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history and was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was fatally shot by a gunman while delivering a speech on behalf of another politician in the city of Nara on July 8, 2022. The gunman was identified as a 41-year-old local man who was a veteran of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and said he was frustrated with Abe.

Born

21 Sep 1954

Industry

Politics

Job Title

Former Prime Minister of Japan

Japan

Japan’s PM Takaichi tells fellow politician she needs ‘more sleep’

The remark came as Takaichi’s leadership recently hit the six-month mark.

23 Apr 2026 - 4:37PM

Japan

Japan’s Takaichi sends Yasukuni shrine offering, South Korea expresses ‘regret’

21 Apr 2026 - 6:01PM

China-Japan relations

Is Takaichi putting Japan’s pacifist constitution on the chopping block?

18 Apr 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Japan

‘Not a reliable ally’: Japan eyes Nato as Trump erodes faith in US guarantees

Tokyo and the transatlantic security alliance have a shared problem: what happens if the US walks away?

13 Apr 2026 - 9:16AM

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte stands in front of Japanese and Nato flags during a visit to Tokyo in April last year. Photo: AFP

The Philippines

Ahead of first Philippine visit since WWII, Japan’s past catches up with troops

Critics oppose the return of Japanese troops over Tokyo’s lack of a formal apology for the wartime abuse of Filipino ‘comfort women’.

31 Mar 2026 - 8:57AM

Japan

Trump’s ‘wind-up doll’? Japan’s PM faces backlash over White House fawning

White House imagery showing Sanae Takaichi cheering for a rock song and laughing at a jibe at Joe Biden left some in Japan feeling ‘ashamed’.

24 Mar 2026 - 6:45PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Trump’s biggest cheerleader? Why Japan’s Takaichi is making waves in China

White House photo of Japanese prime minister apparently dancing to a band draws derision on Chinese social media.

22 Mar 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reacts to the music as she arrives for a state dinner, at the White House on March 19. Photo: Handout

United States

Trump compares Iran attack to Pearl Harbour in otherwise positive Takaichi talks

Two leaders tout bilateral relationship and pledge to work cooperatively on trade.

21 Mar 2026 - 3:39AMvideocam

China-Japan relations

‘Uncompromising’: Takaichi’s meeting with Trump seen as key to China-Japan ties

Neither Tokyo nor Beijing has enough incentive to compromise, observers say, signalling a new reality between Asian giants.

19 Mar 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Japan

Trump wants Japanese warships in Hormuz. Can Takaichi ‘dodge the bullet’?

The Iran war complicates Trump-Takaichi talks, putting her in a bind between US demands and constitutional limits on military action.

16 Mar 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

A naval vessel sails in the Strait of Hormuz on March 1. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Japan

Japanese court upholds order to dissolve Unification Church over donations

The order will take immediate effect, with the group losing its religious corporation tax status and liquidation procedures to begin.

4 Mar 2026 - 4:51PMvideocam

Security personnel stand guard outside the Unification Church headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday. Photo: Kyodo

Japan

How the Unification Church is facing fallout in Japan from Shinzo Abe’s murder

Critics have called the group a ‘money-making business’, with many people having lost huge sums of money from its ‘spiritual sales’.

3 Mar 2026 - 4:04PM

Japan

Clocking off: is Japan’s culture of overwork finally dying?

The average hours put in by Japanese workers are lower than those of their American and Italian counterparts.

23 Feb 2026 - 10:34AMvideocam

Japan

‘Enormous failure’: naked man exposes gaps in Japan’s royal security

Princess Kako reportedly witnessed the chaos firsthand as a shrieking intruder stripped off and scaled a barrier below the royal balcony.

19 Feb 2026 - 8:05AM

(From left) Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino, Crown Princess Kiko, Princess Kako, Prince Hisahito, Princess Nobuko and Princess Akiko attend the traditional new year’s greeting ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on January 2. Photo: AFP

China-Japan relations

Why China is worried Japan election may prompt change to pacifist constitution

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has already suggested she wants to revise the clause that renounces the use of force to settle disputes.

9 Feb 2026 - 10:33PMvideocam

Sanae Takaichi won a landslide victory in Sunday’s Japanese election. Photo: AP

Banking & finance

Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead

The two leaders’ moves into economics despite their lack of knowledge threaten to further destabilise global finance and inflate debt levels.

7 Feb 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Japan

Do voters expect smiles? Why masks hurt female politicians in Japan

While there was no decline in support for masked male politicians, their female counterparts saw a significant drop, the survey showed.

2 Feb 2026 - 8:57AM

Japan

Video | Former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe’s killer sentenced to life

Under Japan’s legal system, the trial continued despite Tetsuya Yamagami admitting guilt to Abe’s murder.

21 Jan 2026 - 8:42PM

02:23

Japan

Japan ex-PM Abe’s killer Yamagami gets life term for ‘despicable’ act

Abe’s assassination also ignited scrutiny of alleged ties between prominent conservative lawmakers and the Unification Church.

21 Jan 2026 - 8:47PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Japanese business leaders shelve annual China trip as tensions mount

Poor prospects for ‘substantial results’ prompts delegation of about 200 people to put visit on hold.

1 Jan 2026 - 7:51PMvideocam

South Korea

South Korean politicians agree to Unification Church special probe in rare move

The ruling DPK has accepted the opposition’s proposal to appoint special prosecutors to look into the church’s political meddling and bribes.

23 Dec 2025 - 9:30AM

The entrance to the Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja’s residence in Gapyeong in South Korea. Photo: AFP

Japan

Security or freedom? Japan’s proposed anti-spy laws raise human rights concerns

Prime Minister Takaichi’s plans to tighten spying and secrecy rules could be used to stifle free speech and media freedom, analysts say.

14 Dec 2025 - 10:01AMvideocam

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to the media in Tokyo on Monday. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters

War and conflict

Opinion | Only true repentance from Japan can resolve East Asia’s ‘memory wars’

It is important that Japan, China and South Korea collectively reckon with the legacy of military aggression and wartime atrocities.

13 Dec 2025 - 5:30AM

Japan

‘Want people to face this issue’: Oscar-nominated #MeToo film finally in Japan

After sensitive footage was cut, Shiori Ito’s ‘Black Box Diaries’ finally debuts in Japan, exposing sexual violence and pushing for #MeToo justice.

12 Dec 2025 - 6:28PMvideocam

South Korea

South Korea’s threat to dissolve corrupt religious groups risks blowback

President Lee’s move comes as a widening Unification Church bribery scandal implicates lawmakers from both major parties.

11 Dec 2025 - 6:03PMvideocam

Members of the Unification Church protest in Seoul against the media coverage of their group after the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. Photo: AFP

South Korea

Unification Church leader denies knowing about gifts for Kim Keon-hee

South Korean prosecutors reject the claim, saying Han Hak-ja is an ‘absolute power holder’ and no funds can be used without her approval.

1 Dec 2025 - 3:59PMvideocam

Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja arrives at court to attend a hearing on September 22. Photo: Reuters

China-Japan relations

Why Japan’s drift to the right means a ‘long-term struggle’ for China

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says that ‘China will never allow Japanese right-wing forces to turn back the clock of history’.

23 Nov 2025 - 9:05PMvideocam

My Take

My Take | Takaichi’s stance over Taiwan is just what the West wants

Japan can protect its security and national interest by peaceful means rather than going down a belligerent path.

16 Nov 2025 - 11:58PM

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Shinzo Abe

Japan’s PM Takaichi tells fellow politician she needs ‘more sleep’

The remark came as Takaichi’s leadership recently hit the six-month mark.

Japan’s Takaichi sends Yasukuni shrine offering, South Korea expresses ‘regret’

Is Takaichi putting Japan’s pacifist constitution on the chopping block?

‘Not a reliable ally’: Japan eyes Nato as Trump erodes faith in US guarantees

Tokyo and the transatlantic security alliance have a shared problem: what happens if the US walks away?

Ahead of first Philippine visit since WWII, Japan’s past catches up with troops

Critics oppose the return of Japanese troops over Tokyo’s lack of a formal apology for the wartime abuse of Filipino ‘comfort women’.

Trump’s ‘wind-up doll’? Japan’s PM faces backlash over White House fawning

White House imagery showing Sanae Takaichi cheering for a rock song and laughing at a jibe at Joe Biden left some in Japan feeling ‘ashamed’.

Trump’s biggest cheerleader? Why Japan’s Takaichi is making waves in China

White House photo of Japanese prime minister apparently dancing to a band draws derision on Chinese social media.

Trump compares Iran attack to Pearl Harbour in otherwise positive Takaichi talks

Two leaders tout bilateral relationship and pledge to work cooperatively on trade.

‘Uncompromising’: Takaichi’s meeting with Trump seen as key to China-Japan ties

Neither Tokyo nor Beijing has enough incentive to compromise, observers say, signalling a new reality between Asian giants.

Trump wants Japanese warships in Hormuz. Can Takaichi ‘dodge the bullet’?

The Iran war complicates Trump-Takaichi talks, putting her in a bind between US demands and constitutional limits on military action.

Japanese court upholds order to dissolve Unification Church over donations

The order will take immediate effect, with the group losing its religious corporation tax status and liquidation procedures to begin.

How the Unification Church is facing fallout in Japan from Shinzo Abe’s murder

Critics have called the group a ‘money-making business’, with many people having lost huge sums of money from its ‘spiritual sales’.

Clocking off: is Japan’s culture of overwork finally dying?

The average hours put in by Japanese workers are lower than those of their American and Italian counterparts.

‘Enormous failure’: naked man exposes gaps in Japan’s royal security

Princess Kako reportedly witnessed the chaos firsthand as a shrieking intruder stripped off and scaled a barrier below the royal balcony.

Why China is worried Japan election may prompt change to pacifist constitution

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has already suggested she wants to revise the clause that renounces the use of force to settle disputes.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead

The two leaders’ moves into economics despite their lack of knowledge threaten to further destabilise global finance and inflate debt levels.

Do voters expect smiles? Why masks hurt female politicians in Japan

While there was no decline in support for masked male politicians, their female counterparts saw a significant drop, the survey showed.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe’s killer sentenced to life

Under Japan’s legal system, the trial continued despite Tetsuya Yamagami admitting guilt to Abe’s murder.

Japan ex-PM Abe’s killer Yamagami gets life term for ‘despicable’ act

Abe’s assassination also ignited scrutiny of alleged ties between prominent conservative lawmakers and the Unification Church.

Japanese business leaders shelve annual China trip as tensions mount

Poor prospects for ‘substantial results’ prompts delegation of about 200 people to put visit on hold.

South Korean politicians agree to Unification Church special probe in rare move

The ruling DPK has accepted the opposition’s proposal to appoint special prosecutors to look into the church’s political meddling and bribes.

Security or freedom? Japan’s proposed anti-spy laws raise human rights concerns

Prime Minister Takaichi’s plans to tighten spying and secrecy rules could be used to stifle free speech and media freedom, analysts say.

Opinion | Only true repentance from Japan can resolve East Asia’s ‘memory wars’

It is important that Japan, China and South Korea collectively reckon with the legacy of military aggression and wartime atrocities.

‘Want people to face this issue’: Oscar-nominated #MeToo film finally in Japan

After sensitive footage was cut, Shiori Ito’s ‘Black Box Diaries’ finally debuts in Japan, exposing sexual violence and pushing for #MeToo justice.

South Korea’s threat to dissolve corrupt religious groups risks blowback

President Lee’s move comes as a widening Unification Church bribery scandal implicates lawmakers from both major parties.

Unification Church leader denies knowing about gifts for Kim Keon-hee

South Korean prosecutors reject the claim, saying Han Hak-ja is an ‘absolute power holder’ and no funds can be used without her approval.

Why Japan’s drift to the right means a ‘long-term struggle’ for China

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says that ‘China will never allow Japanese right-wing forces to turn back the clock of history’.

My Take | Takaichi’s stance over Taiwan is just what the West wants

Japan can protect its security and national interest by peaceful means rather than going down a belligerent path.

Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead

Video | Former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe’s killer sentenced to life