Shinzo Abe
Encyclopedia
was the 90th Prime Minister of Japan
, elected by a special session of the National Diet
on 26 September 2006. He was Japan's youngest post–World War II
prime minister and the first born after the war. Abe served as prime minister for nearly twelve months, before resigning on 12 September 2007. He was replaced by Yasuo Fukuda
, beginning a string of Prime Ministers who could not keep the office for more than one year.
and soon moved to Tokyo. He attended Seikei elementary school and Fuku Yu high school. He studied political science
at Seikei University
, graduating in 1977. He later moved to the United States and studied "English for foreign students" and political science at the University of Southern California
. In April 1979, Abe began working for Kobe Steel
. He left the company in 1982 and pursued a number of governmental positions including executive assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, private secretary to the chairperson of the LDP General Council, and private secretary to the LDP secretary-general.
Abe was born into a political family of significance. His grandfather, Kan Abe
, and father, Shintaro Abe
, were both politicians. Abe's mother, Yoko Kishi, is the daughter of Nobusuke Kishi
, prime minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960. Kishi had been a member of the Tōjō
Cabinet during the Second World War. Since GHQ's
policy changed and became more anti-communist
, Kishi was released from Sugamo Prison
, and later established the Japan Democratic Party. In 1950 Shigeru Yoshida
's Liberal Party
and Kishi's Democratic Party merged as an anti-leftist coalition and became the Liberal Democratic Party of today.
Shinzō Abe was elected to the first district of Yamaguchi Prefecture
in 1993 after his father's death in 1991, winning the most votes of any election in the prefecture's history. In 1999, he became Director of the Social Affairs Division, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Yoshirō Mori
and Junichiro Koizumi
Cabinets from 2000–2003, after which he was appointed Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Abe is a member of the Mori Faction (formally, the Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyū-kai) of the Liberal Democratic Party. This faction is headed by former prime minister Yoshirō Mori
. Junichiro Koizumi
was a member of the Mori Faction prior to leaving it, as is the custom when accepting a high party post. From 1986 to 1991, Abe's father, Shintaro, headed the same faction. The Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyū-kai has sixty members in the House of Representatives
and twenty six in the House of Councillors
.
Abe was chief negotiator
for the Japanese government
on behalf of the families of Japanese abductees
taken to North Korea
. As a part of the effort, he accompanied Koizumi to meet Kim Jong-il
in 2002. He gained national popularity when he demanded that Japanese abductees visiting Japan remain, in defiance of North Korea.
On 31 October 2005, he was nominated Chief Cabinet Secretary
of the fifth Koizumi Cabinet
, succeeding Hiroyuki Hosoda
.
He was the leader of a project team within the LDP that did a survey on "excessive sexual education and gender-free education." Among the items to which this team raised objections were anatomical dolls and other curricular materials "not taking into consideration the age of children," school policies banning traditional boys' and girls' festivals, and mixed-gender physical education
. The team sought to provide contrast to the Democratic Party of Japan
, which it alleged supported such policies.
On 20 September 2006, Abe was elected as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party
. His chief competitors for the position were Sadakazu Tanigaki
and Taro Aso
. Yasuo Fukuda
was a leading early contender but ultimately chose not to run. Former Prime Minister Yoshirō Mori
, to whose faction both Abe and Fukuda belonged, stated that the faction strongly leant toward Abe.
On 26 September, Abe was elected prime minister with 339 of 475 votes in the Diet's lower house
and a firm majority in the upper house
.
in 1941.
. He has taken some steps toward balancing the Japanese budget, such as appointing a tax policy expert, Koji Omi
, as Minister of Finance. Omi has previously supported increases in the national consumption tax
, although Abe has distanced himself from this policy and seeks to achieve much of his budget balancing through spending cuts.
and the New History Textbook. He denies the abduction of comfort women
by Japanese troops, claims that a history textbook must contribute to the formation of national consciousness, and cites South Korea
n criticism of the New History Textbook as foreign interference in Japanese domestic affairs.
In March 2007, Abe along with right-wing politicians have proposed a bill to encourage nationalism and a "love for one's country and hometown" among the Japanese youth..
, and has said he opposes amending Japanese law to permit female blood lines to succeed the imperial family. Succession of the imperial family by the female blood line should not be confused with ascension of a woman to the Chrysanthemum Throne as Empress.
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, especially regarding the North Korean abductions of Japanese
.
In 2002, negotiations between Japan and North Korea, Prime Minister Koizumi and General Secretary Kim Jong-il
agreed to give abductees permission to visit Japan. A few weeks into the visit, the Japanese government decided that the abductees would be restricted from returning to North Korea where their families live. Abe took credit for this policy decision in his best-selling book, . North Korea criticized this Japanese decision as a breach of a diplomatic promise, and the negotiations aborted.
On 7 July 2006, North Korea conducted missile tests over the Sea of Japan
. Abe, as Chief Cabinet Secretary, cooperated with Foreign Minister Taro Aso
to seek sanctions against North Korea in the United Nations Security Council
.
, seeks an eventual summit meeting with Chinese paramount leader Hu Jintao
. Abe has also said that Sino-Japanese relations
should not continue to be based on emotions.
On 4 August 2006, the Japanese media reported that Shinzō Abe had visited the Yasukuni Shrine
(a shrine that includes convicted Class A war criminals in its honored war dead) in April of that year. Abe claimed the visit was of a personal and non-official nature, as Former Prime Minister Koizumi has in the past. The Chinese and South Korean governments expressed concern over the visit. Both Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Aso have stated that any visits to Yasukuni are a domestic matter. In the end, Abe visited the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery
on 15 August 2007 and abstained from visiting the Yasukuni shrine.
Moreover, Abe is respected among politicians in Taiwan
who are part of the Pan-Green Coalition
seeking Taiwanese independence. Chen Shui-bian
welcomed Abe's ministership. Part of Abe's appeal in Taiwan is historical: his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi
was pro-Taiwan, and his great-uncle Eisaku Satō
was the last prime minister to visit Taiwan while in office.
Abe has expressed the need to strengthen political, security, and economic ties within the Southeast Asian region. Abe has increased its allies in its international campaign to counter the North Korean nuclear cards. So far, Abe has successfully visited the Philippines and Indonesia, and although China is not within the Southeast Asian region, Japan has also sought for their support.
Abe's India foreign policy was pragmatic, as it was based on boosting Japan's resurgent economic indicators, while gaining a crucial partner in Asia. India, alone amongst all major Asian countries, does not have a history of serious military dispute with Japan. Japan served as India's benefactor during a stage of the Indian freedom struggle during World War II (it supported Subhas Chandra Bose, a.k.a. Netaji and the Indian National Army
). This, coupled with the lone dissenting judgement by the Indian judge Radhabinod Pal during the War Crime tribunal of Japanese Class A war criminals and the cultural impact of Buddhism
(which originated in India), has endeared India to the Japanese.
military forces. He had stated that "we are reaching the limit in narrowing down differences between Japan's security and the interpretation of our constitution."
Like his predecessors, he supported the Japanese alliance with the United States.
, who had been one of Abe's competitors for the LDP presidency. In addition to the cabinet positions existing under Koizumi, Abe created five new "advisor" positions.
Shinzō Abe reshuffled his cabinet on 27 August 2007.
Notes:
Toshikatsu Matsuoka
committed suicide, Abe's approval rating remained below 30% for months according to opinion polls of Jiji Press
. Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party
suffered great losses in the upper house election
. Another agricultural minister, Norihiko Akagi
, who was involved in a political funding scandal, resigned after the election.
In an attempt to revive his administration, Abe announced a new cabinet on 27 August 2007. However, the new agricultural minister Takehiko Endo
, involved in a finance scandal, resigned only 7 days later.
On 12 September 2007, only three days after a new parliamentary session had begun, Abe announced his intention to resign his position as prime minister at an unscheduled press conference. Abe said his unpopularity was hindering the passage of an anti-terrorism law, involving among other things Japan's continued military presence in Afghanistan
. Party officials also said the embattled prime minister was suffering from poor health, with Abe blaming crippling diarrhea
. On 26 September 2007 Abe officially ended his term as Yasuo Fukuda
became the new Prime Minister of Japan.
were attacked with molotov cocktail
s on numerous occasions, and the perpetrators were several yakuza
members belonging to the Kudo-kai
, a Kitakyushu-based designated boryokudan syndicate. The reason for the attacks was believed to be – Abe's local aide refused to give cash to a Shimonoseki real estate broker in return for supporting a Shimonoseki mayoral candidate in 1999.
. On his official homepage he questions the extent to which coercion was applied toward the Comfort Women
, dismissing Korean "revisionism" as foreign interference in Japanese domestic affairs. In a Diet session on 6 October 2006, Abe revised his statement regarding comfort women, and said that he accepted the report issued in 1993 by the sitting cabinet secretary, Yōhei Kōno
, where the Japanese government officially acknowledged the issue. Later in the session, Abe stated his belief that Class A war criminals are not criminals under Japan's domestic law.
In a meeting of the Lower House Budget Committee in February 2006, Shinzō Abe said, 'There is a problem as to how to define aggressive wars; we cannot say it is decided academically', and 'It is not the business of the government to decide how to define the last world war. I think we have to wait for the estimation of historians'. However, on a TV program in July 2006 he denied that Manchukuo
was a puppet state
.
Abe published a book called in July 2006, which became a bestseller in Japan. In this book, he says that Class A war criminals (those charged with crimes against peace
) who were adjudicated in the Tokyo Tribunal after World War II
were not war criminals in the eye of domestic law. The Korean and Chinese governments, as well as noted academics and commentators, have voiced concern about Abe's historical views.
In March 2007, in response to a United States Congress
resolution by Mike Honda
, Abe denied any government coercion in the recruitment of comfort women during World War II
, in line with a statement made almost ten years prior regarding the same issue, in which Abe voiced his opposition about the inclusion of the subject of military prostitution in several school textbooks and then denied any coercion in the "narrow" sense of the word, environmental factors notwithstanding.
However, it provoked negative reaction from Asian and Western countries, for example, The New York Times
editorial on 6 March 2007, “What part of “Japanese Army sex slaves” does Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, have so much trouble understanding and apologizing for? ... These were not commercial brothels. Force, explicit and implicit, was used in recruiting these women. What went on in them was serial rape, not prostitution. The Japanese Army’s involvement is documented in the government’s own defense files. A senior Tokyo official more or less apologized for this horrific crime in 1993.... Yesterday, he grudgingly acknowledged the 1993 quasi apology, but only as part of a pre-emptive declaration that his government would reject the call, now pending in the United States Congress, for an official apology. America isn’t the only country interested in seeing Japan belatedly accept full responsibility. Korea and China are also infuriated by years of Japanese equivocations over the issue. A Washington Post editorial "Shinzo Abe's Double Talk" on 24 March 2007 also criticized him: "he's passionate about Japanese victims of North Korea – and blind to Japan's own war crimes."
also accused Abe and Shōichi Nakagawa
of censoring a 2001 NHK
program concerning "The Women's International War Crimes Tribunal". The "tribunal" was a private committee to adjudicate comfort women; about 5,000 people including 64 casualties from Japan and abroad attended. The committee members, who claimed to be specialists of international law
, claimed that Emperor Hirohito and the Japanese government were responsible for the use of comfort women. The TV program, however, did not mention the full name of the tribunal and keywords such as 'Japanese troops' or 'sexual slavery', and it also cut the sight of the tribunal, the host grouping, statements of the organizer, and the judgement itself. Instead, it presented criticism against the tribunal by a right-wing academic and his statement that 'there was no abduction of sex slaves and they were prostitutes'.
On the day following the Asahi Shimbun
report, Akira Nagai, the chief producer and primary person responsible for the program, held a press conference and ensured the report of the Asahi Shimbun. Abe stated that the content "had to be broadcasted from a neutral point of view" and 'what I did is not to give political pressure.' Abe said "It was a political terrorism by Asahi Shimbun and it was tremendously clear that they had intention to inhume me and Mr. Nakagawa politically, and it is also clear that it was complete fabrication." He also characterized the tribunal as a "mock trial" and raised objection to the presence of North Korea
n prosecutor
s singling them out as agents of North Korean government. Abe's actions in the NHK incident have been criticized as being both illegal (violating the Broadcast Law
) and unconstitutional (violating the Japanese Constitution).
A news program aired on TBS on 21 July 2006 about a secret biological weapons troop of Imperial Japanese Army called 'Unit 731
', along with a picture panel of Shinzō Abe, who has no relation to the report. Abe said in a press conference, "It is a truly big problem if they want to injure my political life." The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
inquired into fact relevance and stated that there had been an omission in editing the TV program fairly, making an administrative direction of exceptional stringent warning based upon Broadcast Law
.
On 24 October 2006, a report emerged that Abe's new administration had called on the NHK
to "pay attention" to the North Korean abductees issue
. Critics, some even within Abe's own LDP party, charged that the government was violating freedom of expression by meddling in the affairs of the public broadcaster.
In December 2006, it was revealed that former Prime-Minister Junichiro Koizumi
's government, in which Abe was Chief Cabinet Secretary, had influenced town hall style meetings, during which paid performers would ask government officials favorable questions.
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Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
, elected by a special session of the National Diet
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
on 26 September 2006. He was Japan's youngest post–World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
prime minister and the first born after the war. Abe served as prime minister for nearly twelve months, before resigning on 12 September 2007. He was replaced by Yasuo Fukuda
Yasuo Fukuda
was the 91st Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving for three and a half years under Prime Ministers Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi....
, beginning a string of Prime Ministers who could not keep the office for more than one year.
Early life
Abe was born in NagatoNagato, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan.The city was founded on March 31, 1954.Nagato consists of five smaller towns that were absorbed over the past several years. The towns are Fukawa, Senzaki, Yuya, Heki and Misumi...
and soon moved to Tokyo. He attended Seikei elementary school and Fuku Yu high school. He studied political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at Seikei University
Seikei University
is a private university in the Kichijōji neighborhood of the city of Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. Its name derives from a passage in the Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian. Its campus is noted for its beautiful rows of zelkova trees.- Overview :...
, graduating in 1977. He later moved to the United States and studied "English for foreign students" and political science at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. In April 1979, Abe began working for Kobe Steel
Kobe Steel
, operating worldwide under the brand Kobelco, is a major Japanese steel manufacturer headquartered in Chuo-ku, Kobe. Kobe Steel also has a stake in Osaka Titanium Technologies.It was formed on September 1, 1905...
. He left the company in 1982 and pursued a number of governmental positions including executive assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, private secretary to the chairperson of the LDP General Council, and private secretary to the LDP secretary-general.
Abe was born into a political family of significance. His grandfather, Kan Abe
Kan Abe
was a Japanese politician. Born into a family of brewers of soy sauce and sake who were landlords in the area of Ōtsu District in Yamaguchi Prefecture, he graduated from Tokyo Imperial University, the predecessor of the University of Tokyo...
, and father, Shintaro Abe
Shintaro Abe
was a Japanese politician from Yamaguchi Prefecture.He was the eldest son of member of Parliament Kan Abe and son-in-law of Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. He was married to Yoko Kishi, daughter of Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His second son, Shinzō Abe, became Prime Minister of Japan on September...
, were both politicians. Abe's mother, Yoko Kishi, is the daughter of Nobusuke Kishi
Nobusuke Kishi
was a Japanese politician and the 56th and 57th Prime Minister of Japan from February 25, 1957 to June 12, 1958 and from then to July 19, 1960. He was often called Shōwa no yōkai .- Early life :...
, prime minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960. Kishi had been a member of the Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army , the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II, from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944...
Cabinet during the Second World War. Since GHQ's
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
policy changed and became more anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
, Kishi was released from Sugamo Prison
Sugamo Prison
Sugamo Prison was located in the district of Ikebukuro, which is now part of the Toshima ward of Tokyo, Japan-History:...
, and later established the Japan Democratic Party. In 1950 Shigeru Yoshida
Shigeru Yoshida
, KCVO was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954.-Early life:...
's Liberal Party
Liberal Party (1945)
was a right-wing party in Japan, founded on November 9, 1945, mainly by former members of Seiyukai Party. Its first leader was Ichirō Hatoyama. In 1946-1947 and 1948-1954, the next party leader Shigeru Yoshida was the Prime Minister....
and Kishi's Democratic Party merged as an anti-leftist coalition and became the Liberal Democratic Party of today.
Member of House of Representatives
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...
in 1993 after his father's death in 1991, winning the most votes of any election in the prefecture's history. In 1999, he became Director of the Social Affairs Division, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Yoshirō Mori
Yoshiro Mori
is a Japanese politician who served as the 85th and 86th Prime Minister of Japan starting at 5 April 2000 ending 26 April 2001. Described as having "the heart of a flea and the brain of a shark," he was an unpopular prime minister mainly remembered today for his many gaffes and situationally...
and Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
Cabinets from 2000–2003, after which he was appointed Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Abe is a member of the Mori Faction (formally, the Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyū-kai) of the Liberal Democratic Party. This faction is headed by former prime minister Yoshirō Mori
Yoshiro Mori
is a Japanese politician who served as the 85th and 86th Prime Minister of Japan starting at 5 April 2000 ending 26 April 2001. Described as having "the heart of a flea and the brain of a shark," he was an unpopular prime minister mainly remembered today for his many gaffes and situationally...
. Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
was a member of the Mori Faction prior to leaving it, as is the custom when accepting a high party post. From 1986 to 1991, Abe's father, Shintaro, headed the same faction. The Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyū-kai has sixty members in the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Japan
The is the lower house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors of Japan is the upper house.The House of Representatives has 480 members, elected for a four-year term. Of these, 180 members are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by a party-list system of proportional representation,...
and twenty six in the House of Councillors
House of Councillors
The is the upper house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or designation of the prime minister, the House of Representatives...
.
Abe was chief negotiator
Negotiation
Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties, intended to reach an understanding, resolve point of difference, or gain advantage in outcome of dialogue, to produce an agreement upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, to craft outcomes to satisfy...
for the Japanese government
Government of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...
on behalf of the families of Japanese abductees
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
taken to North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. As a part of the effort, he accompanied Koizumi to meet Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
in 2002. He gained national popularity when he demanded that Japanese abductees visiting Japan remain, in defiance of North Korea.
On 31 October 2005, he was nominated Chief Cabinet Secretary
Chief Cabinet Secretary
__notoc__The of Japan is a Minister of State who is responsible for directing the Cabinet Secretariat. The main function of Chief Cabinet Secretary is to coordinate the policies of ministries and agencies in the executive branch...
of the fifth Koizumi Cabinet
Cabinet of Japan
The of Japan is the executive branch of the government of Japan. It consists of the Prime Minister and up to fourteen other members, called Ministers of State. The Prime Minister is designated by the Diet, and the remaining ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister...
, succeeding Hiroyuki Hosoda
Hiroyuki Hosoda
is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . From 2004 to 2005, he was the Chief Cabinet Secretary in Junichiro Koizumi's Cabinets, succeeded by Shinzō Abe on October 31, 2005....
.
He was the leader of a project team within the LDP that did a survey on "excessive sexual education and gender-free education." Among the items to which this team raised objections were anatomical dolls and other curricular materials "not taking into consideration the age of children," school policies banning traditional boys' and girls' festivals, and mixed-gender physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. The team sought to provide contrast to the Democratic Party of Japan
Democratic Party of Japan
The is a political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several opposition parties. Its socially liberal platform is generally considered center-left in the Japanese political spectrum...
, which it alleged supported such policies.
On 20 September 2006, Abe was elected as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre-right political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world. The LDP ruled almost continuously for nearly 54 years from its founding in 1955 until its defeat in the 2009 election...
. His chief competitors for the position were Sadakazu Tanigaki
Sadakazu Tanigaki
is a conservative Japanese politician who served as Minister of Finance from 2003 to 2006, in the cabinet of Jun'ichirō Koizumi. He also served as Minister of Construction and Transport in the cabinet of Yasuo Fukuda and is serving his ninth term as a member of the House of Representatives,...
and Taro Aso
Taro Aso
was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and...
. Yasuo Fukuda
Yasuo Fukuda
was the 91st Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving for three and a half years under Prime Ministers Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi....
was a leading early contender but ultimately chose not to run. Former Prime Minister Yoshirō Mori
Yoshiro Mori
is a Japanese politician who served as the 85th and 86th Prime Minister of Japan starting at 5 April 2000 ending 26 April 2001. Described as having "the heart of a flea and the brain of a shark," he was an unpopular prime minister mainly remembered today for his many gaffes and situationally...
, to whose faction both Abe and Fukuda belonged, stated that the faction strongly leant toward Abe.
On 26 September, Abe was elected prime minister with 339 of 475 votes in the Diet's lower house
House of Representatives of Japan
The is the lower house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors of Japan is the upper house.The House of Representatives has 480 members, elected for a four-year term. Of these, 180 members are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by a party-list system of proportional representation,...
and a firm majority in the upper house
House of Councillors
The is the upper house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or designation of the prime minister, the House of Representatives...
.
Prime minister
Abe, elected at age 52, in 2006, was the youngest prime minister since Fumimaro KonoeFumimaro Konoe
Prince was a politician in the Empire of Japan who served as the 34th, 38th and 39th Prime Minister of Japan and founder/leader of the Taisei Yokusankai.- Early life :...
in 1941.
Economy
Abe expressed a general commitment to the fiscal reforms instituted by his predecessor, Junichiro KoizumiJunichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
. He has taken some steps toward balancing the Japanese budget, such as appointing a tax policy expert, Koji Omi
Koji Omi
is a Japanese politician, served as Minister of Finance in the cabinet of Shinzō Abe.Omi was born in Numata, Gunma Prefecture and graduated with a degree in Commerce from Hitotsubashi University. He joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and later served as consul general of Japan...
, as Minister of Finance. Omi has previously supported increases in the national consumption tax
Consumption tax
A consumption tax is a tax on spending on goods and services. The tax base of such a tax is the money spent on consumption. Consumption taxes are usually indirect, such as a sales tax or a value added tax...
, although Abe has distanced himself from this policy and seeks to achieve much of his budget balancing through spending cuts.
Education
Since 1997, as the bureau chief of "Institute of Junior Assembly Members Who Think About The Outlook of Japan and History Education," Abe supported the controversial Japanese Society for History Textbook ReformJapanese Society for History Textbook Reform
is a group founded in December 1996 to promote a revisionist view of Japanese history. The group was responsible for authoring a history textbook published from Fusōsha , which was heavily criticised by China, South Korea, and many Western historians for not including full accounts of or...
and the New History Textbook. He denies the abduction of comfort women
Comfort women
The term "comfort women" was a euphemism used to describe women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.Estimates vary as to how many women were involved, with numbers ranging from as low as 20,000 from some Japanese scholars to as high as 410,000 from some Chinese...
by Japanese troops, claims that a history textbook must contribute to the formation of national consciousness, and cites South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n criticism of the New History Textbook as foreign interference in Japanese domestic affairs.
In March 2007, Abe along with right-wing politicians have proposed a bill to encourage nationalism and a "love for one's country and hometown" among the Japanese youth..
Imperial household
Abe holds conservative views in the Japanese imperial succession controversyJapanese imperial succession controversy
The Japanese imperial succession controversy refers to desires to change the laws of succession to the Japanese Throne, which is currently limited to males of the Japanese imperial family.- Overview :...
, and has said he opposes amending Japanese law to permit female blood lines to succeed the imperial family. Succession of the imperial family by the female blood line should not be confused with ascension of a woman to the Chrysanthemum Throne as Empress.
Foreign policy
North Korea
Shinzō Abe has generally taken a hard-line stance with respect to North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, especially regarding the North Korean abductions of Japanese
North Korean abductions of Japanese
The abductions of Japanese citizens from Japan by agents of the North Korean government happened during a period of six years from 1977 to 1983. Although only 17 Japanese are officially recognized by the Japanese government as having been abducted, there may have been as many as 70 to 80...
.
In 2002, negotiations between Japan and North Korea, Prime Minister Koizumi and General Secretary Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
agreed to give abductees permission to visit Japan. A few weeks into the visit, the Japanese government decided that the abductees would be restricted from returning to North Korea where their families live. Abe took credit for this policy decision in his best-selling book, . North Korea criticized this Japanese decision as a breach of a diplomatic promise, and the negotiations aborted.
On 7 July 2006, North Korea conducted missile tests over the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
. Abe, as Chief Cabinet Secretary, cooperated with Foreign Minister Taro Aso
Taro Aso
was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and...
to seek sanctions against North Korea in the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
.
China, South Korea, and Taiwan
Abe has publicly recognized the need for improved relations with the People's Republic of China and, along with Foreign Minister Taro AsoTaro Aso
was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and...
, seeks an eventual summit meeting with Chinese paramount leader Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
. Abe has also said that Sino-Japanese relations
Sino-Japanese relations
China and Japan are geographically separated only by a relatively narrow stretch of ocean. China has strongly influenced Japan with its writing system, architecture, culture, religion, philosophy, and law...
should not continue to be based on emotions.
On 4 August 2006, the Japanese media reported that Shinzō Abe had visited the Yasukuni Shrine
Yasukuni Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is dedicated to the soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. Currently, its Symbolic Registry of Divinities lists the names of over 2,466,000 enshrined men and women whose lives were dedicated to the service of...
(a shrine that includes convicted Class A war criminals in its honored war dead) in April of that year. Abe claimed the visit was of a personal and non-official nature, as Former Prime Minister Koizumi has in the past. The Chinese and South Korean governments expressed concern over the visit. Both Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Aso have stated that any visits to Yasukuni are a domestic matter. In the end, Abe visited the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery
Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery
is the national Japanese cemetery for 352,297 unidentified war dead in the Second World War , near the Imperial Palace and Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan....
on 15 August 2007 and abstained from visiting the Yasukuni shrine.
Moreover, Abe is respected among politicians in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
who are part of the Pan-Green Coalition
Pan-Green Coalition
The Pan-Green Coalition or Pan-Green Camp, is an informal political alliance of the Republic of China, commonly known as "Taiwan", consisting of the Democratic Progressive Party , Taiwan Solidarity Union , and the minor Taiwan Independence Party...
seeking Taiwanese independence. Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
welcomed Abe's ministership. Part of Abe's appeal in Taiwan is historical: his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi
Nobusuke Kishi
was a Japanese politician and the 56th and 57th Prime Minister of Japan from February 25, 1957 to June 12, 1958 and from then to July 19, 1960. He was often called Shōwa no yōkai .- Early life :...
was pro-Taiwan, and his great-uncle Eisaku Satō
Eisaku Sato
This article is about the Prime Minister of Japan. For the governor of Fukushima Prefecture of Japan of the same name, see Eisaku Satō ....
was the last prime minister to visit Taiwan while in office.
Abe has expressed the need to strengthen political, security, and economic ties within the Southeast Asian region. Abe has increased its allies in its international campaign to counter the North Korean nuclear cards. So far, Abe has successfully visited the Philippines and Indonesia, and although China is not within the Southeast Asian region, Japan has also sought for their support.
India
Shinzō Abe's three day visit to India in August 2007 was said to be the start of a new Asian alliance, building on the long history of strong, friendly bilateral relations enjoyed by India and Japan. Abe proposed a 'Broader Asia" alliance of democracies as a counterweight to China's growing influence in the realm of economics and military power. Abe's initiative was seen to be the "fifth" bilateral link in this emerging scenario whereas the US-Australia, US-Japan, Japan-Australia, and US-India links are already established. A sixth link of the India-Australia is said to be the logical corollary in an attempt to create a new quadrilateral of military co-operation which China has labeled the "Asian NATO."Abe's India foreign policy was pragmatic, as it was based on boosting Japan's resurgent economic indicators, while gaining a crucial partner in Asia. India, alone amongst all major Asian countries, does not have a history of serious military dispute with Japan. Japan served as India's benefactor during a stage of the Indian freedom struggle during World War II (it supported Subhas Chandra Bose, a.k.a. Netaji and the Indian National Army
Indian National Army
The Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. The aim of the army was to overthrow the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance...
). This, coupled with the lone dissenting judgement by the Indian judge Radhabinod Pal during the War Crime tribunal of Japanese Class A war criminals and the cultural impact of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
(which originated in India), has endeared India to the Japanese.
Defense
Abe also sought to revise or broaden the interpretation of Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan in order to permit Japan to maintain de jureDe jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
military forces. He had stated that "we are reaching the limit in narrowing down differences between Japan's security and the interpretation of our constitution."
Like his predecessors, he supported the Japanese alliance with the United States.
Cabinets
Abe's first cabinet was announced on 26 September 2006. The only minister retained in his position from the previous Koizumi cabinet was Foreign Minister Taro AsoTaro Aso
was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and...
, who had been one of Abe's competitors for the LDP presidency. In addition to the cabinet positions existing under Koizumi, Abe created five new "advisor" positions.
Shinzō Abe reshuffled his cabinet on 27 August 2007.
| First (26 September 2006) | First, Realigned (27 August 2007) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Secretary Chief Cabinet Secretary __notoc__The of Japan is a Minister of State who is responsible for directing the Cabinet Secretariat. The main function of Chief Cabinet Secretary is to coordinate the policies of ministries and agencies in the executive branch... |
Yasuhisa Shiozaki Yasuhisa Shiozaki is a Japanese politician who served as Chief Cabinet Secretary to Prime Minister Shinzō Abe until August 2007.Born in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, he was an AFS exchange student in high school, graduated with a liberal arts degree from the University of Tokyo and attended the John F. Kennedy School... |
Kaoru Yosano Kaoru Yosano is a Japanese politician. He was a member of Liberal Democratic Party , the Sunrise Party of Japan and former member of the House of Representatives, serving his ninth term in the Lower House representing Tokyo's first electoral district until his defeat in the Japanese general election, 2009... |
| Internal Affairs Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan) The is the member of the Cabinet of Japan in charge of the Internal Affairs and Communications. The post has been held by Tatsuo Kawabata since 2 September 2011.-Ministers of Internal Affairs and Communications:... |
Yoshihide Suga Yoshihide Suga is a Japanese politician who had served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications in the cabinet of Shinzō Abe until August 2007.He was born in Ogachi , Akita Prefecture and obtained an LL.B. from Hosei University in Tokyo... |
Hiroya Masuda Hiroya Masuda is a Japanese politician who was Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications from August 2007 to September 2008. Unlike many other members of the Cabinet, he is not a member of the Diet of Japan . A native of Tokyo, he graduated from the University of Tokyo and served as governor of Iwate... |
| Justice | Jinen Nagase Jinen Nagase is a Japanese politician who formerly served as Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Shinzō Abe.He was born in Toyama and obtained his LL.B. from the University of Tokyo. After graduation, he worked in the Ministry of Labour... |
Kunio Hatoyama Kunio Hatoyama is a Japanese politician who served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications under Prime Minister Taro Aso until June 12, 2009.- Biography :Kunio Hatoyama was born in Tokyo in 1948... |
| Foreign Affairs | Taro Aso Taro Aso was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and... |
Nobutaka Machimura Nobutaka Machimura is a Japanese politician. He is a member of the House of Representatives of Japan and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was Chief Cabinet Secretary in the government of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda from 2007 to 2008.- Career :... |
| Finance | Koji Omi Koji Omi is a Japanese politician, served as Minister of Finance in the cabinet of Shinzō Abe.Omi was born in Numata, Gunma Prefecture and graduated with a degree in Commerce from Hitotsubashi University. He joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and later served as consul general of Japan... |
Fukushiro Nukaga Fukushiro Nukaga is a Japanese politician and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1983 and represents Ibaraki's 2nd district. He was Minister of Finance from 2007 to 2008.... |
| Education | Bunmei Ibuki Bunmei Ibuki is a Japanese politician. He is a Member of the House of Representatives serving the constituency of Kyoto Prefecture, 1st district, where, as of October 2006, he has been elected eight times. He was the Secretary General of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party from 2007 to 2008... |
|
| Health Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan) The , or , is the Cabinet of Japan member in charge of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. As of 2 September 2011, the current minister is Yoko Komiyama.-References:... |
Hakuo Yanagisawa Hakuo Yanagisawa was the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan . He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and a member of the House of Representatives. His constituency is Shizuoka Prefecture 3rd District.... |
Yōichi Masuzoe Yoichi Masuzoe is a Japanese politician and a member of the House of Councillors who was Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare from 2007 to 2009. He is also a well-known face on Japanese TV shows.- Career :... |
| Agriculture Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan) The , or , is the Cabinet of Japan member in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The current minister is Michihiko Kano.-Role:... |
Toshikatsu Matsuoka Toshikatsu Matsuoka was a Japanese politician. He served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from September 26, 2006 under the Abe cabinet. He committed suicide in 2007 in the middle of a financial scandal.- Biography :... 1 Norihiko Akagi Norihiko Akagi is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet .A native of Makabe District, Ibaraki and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 1983 to 1988... 1 |
Masatoshi Wakabayashi Masatoshi Wakabayashi is a Japanese politician who is a member of Liberal Democratic Party.Wakabayashi became the third Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries appointed in Shinzō Abe's first cabinet after Toshikatsu Matsuoka killed himself as a result of financial scandal and Matsuoka's successor Norihiko Akagi... 2 |
| Economy Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (Japan) The is the Cabinet of Japan member in charge of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry . The current Minister is Banri Kaieda.-List of Ministers of Economy, Trade and Industry:... |
Akira Amari Akira Amari is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and a member of the lower house. He was the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from 2006 to 2008 and is currently Minister of State in charge of Administrative Reform.... |
|
| Land | Tetsuzo Fuyushiba Tetsuzo Fuyushiba is a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . He has been serving as Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as well as Minister of State for Tourism Promotion in Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's Cabinet.Fuyushiba was born in Shenyang ... |
|
| Environment Minister of the environment An environment minister is a cabinet position in charged with protecting the natural environment and promoting wildlife conservation... |
Masatoshi Wakabayashi Masatoshi Wakabayashi is a Japanese politician who is a member of Liberal Democratic Party.Wakabayashi became the third Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries appointed in Shinzō Abe's first cabinet after Toshikatsu Matsuoka killed himself as a result of financial scandal and Matsuoka's successor Norihiko Akagi... 1 |
Ichirō Kamoshita Ichiro Kamoshita is a Japanese politician and doctor, who served as Minister of the Environment in Yasuo Fukuda's cabinet.Born in Adachi, Tokyo, he graduated from Nihon University, earning a medical degree. In 1993, he was elected for the first time as a member of the Japan New Party. In December 1997, he joined... |
| Defense Minister of Defense (Japan) The , or , is the Cabinet of Japan member in charge of the Ministry of Defense, formerly known as the Defence Agency before 2007. The current Japanese Minister of Defense is Yasuo Ichikawa, a member of the DPJ. Yasuo Ichikawa has been the Minister of Defense since 2 September 2011... 3 |
Fumio Kyuma Fumio Kyuma is a Japanese politician who has served in the Diet of Japan since 1980. Kyuma graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1964 and worked for the Ministry of Agriculture... 4 |
Masahiko Kōmura Masahiko Komura is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2008, and he is a member of the House of Representatives for the First District of Yamaguchi Prefecture.... |
| Public Safety National Public Safety Commission (Japan) The is a Japanese Cabinet Office commission. It is headquartered in the 2nd Building of the Central Common Government Office at 2-1-2 Kasumigasaeki in Chiyoda, Tokyo.... , Disaster Prevention |
Kensei Mizote Kensei Mizote is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet . A native of Hiroshima, Hiroshima and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he became mayor of Mihara, Hiroshima in 1987 and was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in... |
Shinya Izumi Shinya Izumi is a Japanese politician, who has been serving as chairman of National Public Safety Commission in Shinzō Abe's cabinet since August 2007. He is a member of Liberal Democratic Party and member of the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan .... |
| Economic and Fiscal Policy | Hiroko Ōta Hiroko Ota is a female Japanese politician and a researcher of economics. She graduated from Hitotsubashi University in 1976. Her academic specialties are national public finance and economic policy. She is a noted lecturer of on public finance.... |
|
| Financial Policy | Yuji Yamamoto Yuji Yamamoto is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . A native of Kochi Prefecture and graduate of Waseda University, he was elected to the assembly of Kōchi Prefecture in 1985 and then to the House of Representatives for the first time in... |
Yoshimi Watanabe Yoshimi Watanabe is a Japanese politician, formerly of the Liberal Democratic Party and currently of the President of Your Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet... |
| Administrative Reform | Yoshimi Watanabe Yoshimi Watanabe is a Japanese politician, formerly of the Liberal Democratic Party and currently of the President of Your Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet... 5 |
|
| Regulatory Reform | Fumio Kishida Fumio Kishida is a Japanese politician, who served in Yasuo Fukuda's cabinet as Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, Science and Technology Policy, Quality-of-Life Policy, and Regulatory Reform. He is a member of the House of Representatives and the Liberal Democratic Party.Born in... |
|
| Okinawa/Northern Territories, Technology | Sanae Takaichi Sanae Takaichi served in the following positions: Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, Minister of State for Innovation, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Gender Equality and Minister of State for Food Safety in the Japanese... |
|
| Birth Rate, Youth and Gender Equality | Yōko Kamikawa Yoko Kamikawa is a Japanese politician, who has been serving as Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs since August 2007 in Shinzō Abe's and Yasuo Fukuda's cabinets. She is a member of the House of Representatives and the Liberal Democratic Party.... |
|
| National Security Advisor | Yuriko Koike Yuriko Koike is a Japanese politician, who was the Minister of Defense in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but resigned August 27, 2007 after only 54 days in office... |
|
| Economic Policy Advisor | Takumi Nemoto Takumi Nemoto is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party , a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . A native of Kōriyama, Fukushima and graduate of the University of Tokyo he joined the Ministry of Construction in 1974... |
|
| North Korean Abductions Advisor | Kyoko Nakayama Kyoko Nakayama is a Japanese politician of the Sunrise Party of Japan, formerly of the Liberal Democratic Party , Machimura Faction, and currently serving her first term as a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet... |
|
| Education Advisor | Eriko Yamatani Eriko Yamatani is a Japanese politician. Her real name is Eriko Ogawa 小川 恵里子.Born in Musashino, Tokyo, her father was Sankei Shimbun, a newspaper reporter. She spent her childhood in Fukui city, where her wealthy family ran the geisha ryokan Beniya at Awara Onsen. Later her father was defeated in the general... |
|
| Public Relations Advisor | Hiroshige Seko Hiroshige Seko is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet . A native of Wakayama Prefecture, he graduated from Waseda University and received a master's degree in corporate communications from Boston University. He was elected to the House of... |
|
Notes:
- Toshikatsu MatsuokaToshikatsu Matsuokawas a Japanese politician. He served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from September 26, 2006 under the Abe cabinet. He committed suicide in 2007 in the middle of a financial scandal.- Biography :...
committed suicide on 28 May 2007, hours before being due for questioning in connection to allegations of misappropriation of government funds. He was replaced by Norihiko AkagiNorihiko Akagiis a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet .A native of Makabe District, Ibaraki and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 1983 to 1988...
, who himself resigned on 1 August 2007 due to suspicions of similar conduct. Masatoshi WakabayashiMasatoshi Wakabayashiis a Japanese politician who is a member of Liberal Democratic Party.Wakabayashi became the third Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries appointed in Shinzō Abe's first cabinet after Toshikatsu Matsuoka killed himself as a result of financial scandal and Matsuoka's successor Norihiko Akagi...
was appointed Agriculture Minister, which he served concurrently with his post as Environment Minister. - Masatoshi WakabayashiMasatoshi Wakabayashiis a Japanese politician who is a member of Liberal Democratic Party.Wakabayashi became the third Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries appointed in Shinzō Abe's first cabinet after Toshikatsu Matsuoka killed himself as a result of financial scandal and Matsuoka's successor Norihiko Akagi...
was appointed Agriculture Minister on 3 September 2007, following Takehiko EndoTakehiko Endois a Japanese politician who is a member of Liberal Democratic Party, serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan. On September 3, 2007, due to the financial scandal, he resigned as Minister of Agriculture just 8 days after he was appointed to the post...
's resignation due to a financial scandal. - Prior to Abe's administration, this post was known as "Director General of the Defense Agency". In December 2006, its status was elevated to ministry level.
- Fumio KyumaFumio Kyumais a Japanese politician who has served in the Diet of Japan since 1980. Kyuma graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1964 and worked for the Ministry of Agriculture...
resigned on 3 July 2007 for controversial remarks made about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. He was replaced by Yuriko KoikeYuriko Koikeis a Japanese politician, who was the Minister of Defense in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but resigned August 27, 2007 after only 54 days in office...
, then National Security Advisor. - Yoshimi WatanabeYoshimi Watanabeis a Japanese politician, formerly of the Liberal Democratic Party and currently of the President of Your Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet...
was appointed Minister of State for Administrative Reform upon the 28 December 2007 resignation of Genichiro SataGenichiro Satais a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives of Japan as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He is presently the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Administration. He was elected by the first district of the Japanese prefecture of Gunma...
. He served in this capacity concurrently with his role as Minister of State for Regulatory Reform.
Unpopularity and sudden resignation
After Agricultural MinisterMinister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)
The , or , is the Cabinet of Japan member in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The current minister is Michihiko Kano.-Role:...
Toshikatsu Matsuoka
Toshikatsu Matsuoka
was a Japanese politician. He served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from September 26, 2006 under the Abe cabinet. He committed suicide in 2007 in the middle of a financial scandal.- Biography :...
committed suicide, Abe's approval rating remained below 30% for months according to opinion polls of Jiji Press
Jiji Press
Jiji Press Ltd. is a leading wire service in Japan. Headquartered at Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo, Jiji has 82 branch offices, general bureau and bureau in Japan and 28 general bureau globally. Seizo Wakabayashi is the current President of Jiji Press.-External links:*...
. Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre-right political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world. The LDP ruled almost continuously for nearly 54 years from its founding in 1955 until its defeat in the 2009 election...
suffered great losses in the upper house election
Japanese House of Councillors election, 2007
The for the upper house of the legislature of Japan were held on July 29, 2007. This was the only time Prime Minister Shinzō Abe had faced an election...
. Another agricultural minister, Norihiko Akagi
Norihiko Akagi
is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet .A native of Makabe District, Ibaraki and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 1983 to 1988...
, who was involved in a political funding scandal, resigned after the election.
In an attempt to revive his administration, Abe announced a new cabinet on 27 August 2007. However, the new agricultural minister Takehiko Endo
Takehiko Endo
is a Japanese politician who is a member of Liberal Democratic Party, serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan. On September 3, 2007, due to the financial scandal, he resigned as Minister of Agriculture just 8 days after he was appointed to the post...
, involved in a finance scandal, resigned only 7 days later.
On 12 September 2007, only three days after a new parliamentary session had begun, Abe announced his intention to resign his position as prime minister at an unscheduled press conference. Abe said his unpopularity was hindering the passage of an anti-terrorism law, involving among other things Japan's continued military presence in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Party officials also said the embattled prime minister was suffering from poor health, with Abe blaming crippling diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
. On 26 September 2007 Abe officially ended his term as Yasuo Fukuda
Yasuo Fukuda
was the 91st Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving for three and a half years under Prime Ministers Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi....
became the new Prime Minister of Japan.
Scandal
In 2000, Abe's home and the office of his supporters in Shimonoseki, YamaguchiShimonoseki, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is at the southwestern tip of Honshū, facing the Tsushima Strait and also Kitakyushu across the Kanmon Straits....
were attacked with molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
s on numerous occasions, and the perpetrators were several yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
members belonging to the Kudo-kai
Kudo-kai
The is a yakuza group headquartered in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka on the Kyushu island of Japan, with an estimated 690 active members. refers to the Kudo-kai as an affiliate of the Yamaguchi-gumi, but that is false...
, a Kitakyushu-based designated boryokudan syndicate. The reason for the attacks was believed to be – Abe's local aide refused to give cash to a Shimonoseki real estate broker in return for supporting a Shimonoseki mayoral candidate in 1999.
View on history
Since 1997, as the bureau chief of the 'Institute of Junior Assembly Members Who Think About the Outlook of Japan and History Education', Abe led the Japanese Society for History Textbook ReformJapanese Society for History Textbook Reform
is a group founded in December 1996 to promote a revisionist view of Japanese history. The group was responsible for authoring a history textbook published from Fusōsha , which was heavily criticised by China, South Korea, and many Western historians for not including full accounts of or...
. On his official homepage he questions the extent to which coercion was applied toward the Comfort Women
Comfort women
The term "comfort women" was a euphemism used to describe women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.Estimates vary as to how many women were involved, with numbers ranging from as low as 20,000 from some Japanese scholars to as high as 410,000 from some Chinese...
, dismissing Korean "revisionism" as foreign interference in Japanese domestic affairs. In a Diet session on 6 October 2006, Abe revised his statement regarding comfort women, and said that he accepted the report issued in 1993 by the sitting cabinet secretary, Yōhei Kōno
Yohei Kono
is a Japanese politician and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from November 2003 until August 2009, when the LDP lost its majority in the 2009 election...
, where the Japanese government officially acknowledged the issue. Later in the session, Abe stated his belief that Class A war criminals are not criminals under Japan's domestic law.
In a meeting of the Lower House Budget Committee in February 2006, Shinzō Abe said, 'There is a problem as to how to define aggressive wars; we cannot say it is decided academically', and 'It is not the business of the government to decide how to define the last world war. I think we have to wait for the estimation of historians'. However, on a TV program in July 2006 he denied that Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
was a puppet state
Puppet state
A puppet state is a nominal sovereign of a state who is de facto controlled by a foreign power. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette...
.
Abe published a book called in July 2006, which became a bestseller in Japan. In this book, he says that Class A war criminals (those charged with crimes against peace
Crime against peace
A crime against peace, in international law, refers to "planning, preparation, initiation, or waging of wars of aggression, or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances, or participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the foregoing"...
) who were adjudicated in the Tokyo Tribunal after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
were not war criminals in the eye of domestic law. The Korean and Chinese governments, as well as noted academics and commentators, have voiced concern about Abe's historical views.
In March 2007, in response to a United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
resolution by Mike Honda
Mike Honda
Michael Makoto "Mike" Honda is an American Democratic Party politician. He currently serves as the U.S. Representative for , encompassing western San Jose and Silicon Valley...
, Abe denied any government coercion in the recruitment of comfort women during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in line with a statement made almost ten years prior regarding the same issue, in which Abe voiced his opposition about the inclusion of the subject of military prostitution in several school textbooks and then denied any coercion in the "narrow" sense of the word, environmental factors notwithstanding.
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
editorial on 6 March 2007, “What part of “Japanese Army sex slaves” does Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, have so much trouble understanding and apologizing for? ... These were not commercial brothels. Force, explicit and implicit, was used in recruiting these women. What went on in them was serial rape, not prostitution. The Japanese Army’s involvement is documented in the government’s own defense files. A senior Tokyo official more or less apologized for this horrific crime in 1993.... Yesterday, he grudgingly acknowledged the 1993 quasi apology, but only as part of a pre-emptive declaration that his government would reject the call, now pending in the United States Congress, for an official apology. America isn’t the only country interested in seeing Japan belatedly accept full responsibility. Korea and China are also infuriated by years of Japanese equivocations over the issue. A Washington Post editorial "Shinzo Abe's Double Talk" on 24 March 2007 also criticized him: "he's passionate about Japanese victims of North Korea – and blind to Japan's own war crimes."
Response to mass media
The Asahi ShimbunAsahi Shimbun
The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...
also accused Abe and Shōichi Nakagawa
Shoichi Nakagawa
was a Japanese conservative politician in the Liberal Democratic Party , who served as Minister of Finance from September 24, 2008 to February 17, 2009. He previously held the posts of Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the cabinet of...
of censoring a 2001 NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
program concerning "The Women's International War Crimes Tribunal". The "tribunal" was a private committee to adjudicate comfort women; about 5,000 people including 64 casualties from Japan and abroad attended. The committee members, who claimed to be specialists of international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
, claimed that Emperor Hirohito and the Japanese government were responsible for the use of comfort women. The TV program, however, did not mention the full name of the tribunal and keywords such as 'Japanese troops' or 'sexual slavery', and it also cut the sight of the tribunal, the host grouping, statements of the organizer, and the judgement itself. Instead, it presented criticism against the tribunal by a right-wing academic and his statement that 'there was no abduction of sex slaves and they were prostitutes'.
On the day following the Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...
report, Akira Nagai, the chief producer and primary person responsible for the program, held a press conference and ensured the report of the Asahi Shimbun. Abe stated that the content "had to be broadcasted from a neutral point of view" and 'what I did is not to give political pressure.' Abe said "It was a political terrorism by Asahi Shimbun and it was tremendously clear that they had intention to inhume me and Mr. Nakagawa politically, and it is also clear that it was complete fabrication." He also characterized the tribunal as a "mock trial" and raised objection to the presence of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
s singling them out as agents of North Korean government. Abe's actions in the NHK incident have been criticized as being both illegal (violating the Broadcast Law
Broadcast law
Broadcast law is the field of law which pertains to broadcasting. These laws and regulations pertain to radio stations and TV stations, and are also considered to include closely related services like cable TV and cable radio, as well as satellite TV and satellite radio...
) and unconstitutional (violating the Japanese Constitution).
A news program aired on TBS on 21 July 2006 about a secret biological weapons troop of Imperial Japanese Army called 'Unit 731
Unit 731
was a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that undertook lethal human experimentation during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. It was responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes carried out by Japanese...
', along with a picture panel of Shinzō Abe, who has no relation to the report. Abe said in a press conference, "It is a truly big problem if they want to injure my political life." The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
The ' or Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is a cabinet-level ministry in the Government of Japan. The English name Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications was used prior to 2004...
inquired into fact relevance and stated that there had been an omission in editing the TV program fairly, making an administrative direction of exceptional stringent warning based upon Broadcast Law
Broadcast law
Broadcast law is the field of law which pertains to broadcasting. These laws and regulations pertain to radio stations and TV stations, and are also considered to include closely related services like cable TV and cable radio, as well as satellite TV and satellite radio...
.
On 24 October 2006, a report emerged that Abe's new administration had called on the NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
to "pay attention" to the North Korean abductees issue
North Korean abductions of Japanese
The abductions of Japanese citizens from Japan by agents of the North Korean government happened during a period of six years from 1977 to 1983. Although only 17 Japanese are officially recognized by the Japanese government as having been abducted, there may have been as many as 70 to 80...
. Critics, some even within Abe's own LDP party, charged that the government was violating freedom of expression by meddling in the affairs of the public broadcaster.
In December 2006, it was revealed that former Prime-Minister Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
's government, in which Abe was Chief Cabinet Secretary, had influenced town hall style meetings, during which paid performers would ask government officials favorable questions.
See also
- India-Japan relations
- Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan’s Military Sexual SlaveryWomen’s International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan’s Military Sexual SlaveryThe Women's International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan's Military Sexual Slavery was a people's tribunal convened to gather testimony from victims, and then, based on international laws that were in place during World War II, to try groups and individuals for rape or sexual slavery, i.e., forcing...
External links
- Official website
- Prime Minister of Japan Official Website
- Discussion of the Prime Minister's policies and actions
- Biography by CIDOB Foundation
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