Japanese Ambassador and Scholars Share their Thoughts on the Legacy of Late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

From left to right, moderator Dr. Yuhki Tajima, Ambassador Tomita Koji, Dr. Victor Cha, and Dr. Sheila A. Smith. 

After former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated last July, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and several scholars of Japan-U.S. relations, gathered in Copley Formal Lounge to reflect on his legacy on October 18. The speakers discussed Abe’s domestic and international legacy and examined how he shaped Japan’s role on the international stage.  

The speakers present were Tomita Koji, Japan’s Ambassador to the United States;  Dr. Victor Cha, D.S. Song-KF Chair in the Department of Government and the School of Foreign Service; and Dr. Sheila A. Smith, John E. Merow senior fellow of Asia-Pacific studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Michael Green, CEO of the United States Studies Center at the University of Sydney, was not present but shared his reflections in a pre-recorded video.

Abe, who served two terms as Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007, and then again from 2012 to 2020, was shot at a campaign rally in Nara, Japan, on July 8. His assassination shocked the world and was especially unusual for a country where gun violence is rare, NPR reported. He was Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister and its first to be born after World War II. 

A recurring topic throughout the discussion was Abe’s commitment to elevating Japan’s role on the international stage and his leadership in regional alliances. 

Ambassador Tomita emphasized that Abe’s talent as a “great engager” with other leaders was a quality that made him an effective international leader. He praised Abe’s dedication to forging connections with other leaders, noting that Abe made 81 trips abroad during his second premiership. He also lauded Abe’s success in uniting international coalitions to counter the rising power of China. 

The speakers also discussed Abe’s commitment to ensuring that Japan would be seen as a reliable partner by other nations. Both Dr. Green and Dr. Smith referenced Abe’s 2013 speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in which he announced “Japan is back” and would never be a “tier two nation.” Abe's comments were intended to counter worries that Japan would be unable to resolve its own internal issues and become a serious competitor to China.

As part of his efforts to cement Japan’s status as a “tier one nation,” Abe spearheaded various international alliances, agreements, and dialogues. After the United States left the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multinational free-trade agreement, in 2017, Abe reorganized it into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), according to CSIS. In the years since, he has been credited with saving the agreement. 

Dr. Cha and Dr. Green both discussed how Abe’s championship of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), a coalition of Indo-Pacific nations dedicated to combating regional issues, was instrumental in garnering support for the initiative. 

According to Dr. Green, Abe became “the leader of the free world in the Indo-Pacific” through his leadership of these initiatives.

Dr. Green and Dr. Smith also acknowledged the controversies of Abe’s premiership, such as his push to reinterpret the “pacifist clause” of Japan’s constitution in order to make Japan’s military more assertive. While Abe maintained that the reinterpretation allowed Japan to support its allies, his decision led to protests by Japanese citizens and foreign leaders that it brought Japan closer to war, according to the Iowa Law Review. 

While Abe’s legacy is not without controversy both in Japan and abroad, all four speakers agreed that he undeniably changed the role of Japan in global politics.