By the time he resigned because of illness in August 2020, Abe had become modern Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. His tenure exceeded that of his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, who led Japan from 1957 to 1960; his father, Shintaro Abe, also served as chief cabinet secretary, often seen as the country’s second-most powerful position.
Abe sought to transform a nation protected by the American nuclear umbrella and bound by a pacifist constitution into a more assertive and internationally engaged power. He also attempted to revitalize the stagnant Japanese economy, which lost its position as Asia’s largest between his two stints in office.
Scandal marred his brief first term as prime minister. But he found more success redirecting the nation’s course after returning to power in 2012. The economic policies he pursued, dubbed “Abenomics,” were…
