An outstanding Japanese statesman - André DeBattista

Shinzo Abe was one of the most influential figures in post-war Japan. His assassination while giving a speech in the city of Nara shocked Japan and the entire world. It came two days before an election for the Upper House.

Japan is not a country known for its gun violence. Obtaining a gun licence is incredibly difficult; the images in the aftermath of the assassination show a weapon which was likely made at home. It is also a country where political assassinations seemed to be a thing of the past.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida – who served under Abe as foreign minister – was visibly moved and appealed for a defence of “free and just elections, which are at the root of democracy”.

He described Abe as a “great leader who loved the nation, looked to the future and made great achievements in various fields for the future of this country”.

Abe’s sights on the future were undoubtedly rooted in his sense of the past. He came from a long line of distinguished public servants.

His maternal grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, and his great-uncle, Eisaku Satō, served as prime ministers of Japan. His paternal grandfather was also a promising politician whose life was cut short, aged 51, by a...