Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot in Nara on the 8th while he was running for the Senate election. He was hospitalized and died unfortunately at the age of 67. His father, former foreign minister Shintaro Abe, died of cancer in 1991, also at the age of 67. In the past, Shintaro Abe asked Abe to “go into politics with the consciousness of death.” Unexpectedly, the words came true, and both father and son met death at the age of 67.
Shinzo Abe was born into a prominent political family. His grandfather was former Prime Minister Shinsuke Kishi, and his uncle was former Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, so he is known as “one family and three prime ministers”. His father, Shintaro Abe, served as Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party, and was also active in politics. Political journalist Tadako Nogami, author of “The Mask of Abe’s Silence,” uncovers little-known stories about Abe’s youth.
Shintaro Abe’s parents divorced 80 days after he was born, and he lacked the warmth of maternal love since he was a child. At the age of 22, his father, Abe Kan, died of bone cancer. Moreover, Abe is also a serious politician, so Abe Shintaro doesn’t know much about “the taste of family” and is not good at expressing his love for his son. Abe’s babysitter, Kubo Mei, said in an interview with Nogami Zhongxing: “I have hardly seen my father (Jintaro) hold Xiaojin (Shinzo Abe’s nickname).” Shinzo Abe himself said that “the emotional expression of family members is rather clumsy”.
According to Kubo Mei, although Jintaro and his son have a different sense of distance from ordinary families, Shinzo Abe when he was a teenager wanted to please his father, which is no different from ordinary children. Nogami Zhongxing wrote in the book that little Jinzo in kindergarten once said to Jintaro with candy in his mouth, “I will be like my father”, expressing that he wants to inherit the mantle of statesman.
Shinzo Abe often mentions his greatest experience with politics as a child. In 1960, the then Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi stimulated the struggle between Japanese reformers and conservatives in order to revise the US-Japan security treaty with the United States. Outside Kishi’s official residence in Shibuya, there have been protesters against the revision of the security treaty for several days. In Kishi’s home, Shinzo Abe, who was only 5 years old at the time, and his 7-year-old brother, Abe Kanshin, imitated the protesters and chanted slogans: “Against security! Oppose security!” Kishi smiled and looked at his two grandsons.
Due to his father’s busy work, Shinzo Abe spent his childhood basically following his mother, Yoko, by the side of his grandfather Kishi Nobusuke. In an interview with Nogami, Shinzo Abe said: “Unlike the ordinary family, my father is often away from home. If he is at home, the atmosphere will be very restrained.” For the election of her husband, she stayed in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, leaving the young Abe brothers in Tokyo.
Abe once revealed: “When I was at a friend’s house and saw the scene of a family together, I thought, ‘It’s good'”, expressing his yearning for an “ordinary family”. In 1963, Shintaro Abe was defeated in the House of Representatives election and was ready to make a comeback. While Shintaro was running for the campaign, Abe took a bus hike. When the classmates took turns singing in the car, he suddenly picked up the microphone and said something that surprised the classmates. “I am the son of Shintaro Abe, please support Shintaro Abe,” he said.
Shintaro Abe, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1989, remained committed to diplomacy with the Soviet Union. Abe Shinzo served as his father’s secretary at the time and followed him frequently on visits. Abe Shinzo once mentioned that the doctor told him that his father had only about 2 years left to live, and his father seemed to be conscious. Despite this, he continued to burn his life to solve the problems that Japan faced after the war.
The news photographer Koichi Yamamoto, who once interviewed Abe and his son, mentioned in the book “Japanese Territory that the Japanese Can’t Go”, Abe Shintaro once told his son: “Go into politics with the consciousness of death.” Although Abe Shintaro He continued his political activities and hoped to advance to a higher position, but he still lost to the disease. He died in May 1991 at the age of 67.
The last time Abe attended a public event was a month before his death, when Soviet leader Gorbachev made a historic visit to Japan, where he attended a welcome lunch. Shinzo Abe was shot to death on the 8th when he was a secondary candidate for the Senate general election. He was 67 years old, the same as his father. Although his situation is different from that of his father, whose death was predicted, Abe continued to be active in politics even after he left office, and perhaps he had the same “consciousness” about entering politics as his father in his later years.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot in Nara on the 8th while he was running for the Senate election. He was hospitalized and died unfortunately at the age of 67. His father, former foreign minister Shintaro Abe, died of cancer in 1991, also at the age of 67. In the past, Shintaro Abe asked Abe to “go into politics with the consciousness of death.” Unexpectedly, the words came true, and both father and son met death at the age of 67.
The news photographer Koichi Yamamoto, who once interviewed Abe and his son, mentioned in the book “Japanese Territory that the Japanese Can’t Go”, Abe Shintaro once told his son: “Go into politics with the consciousness of death.” Although Abe Shintaro He continued his political activities and hoped to advance to a higher position, but he still lost to the disease. He died in May 1991 at the age of 67. The last time Abe attended a public event was a month before his death, when Soviet leader Gorbachev made a historic visit to Japan, where he attended a welcome lunch. Shinzo Abe was shot to death on the 8th when he was a secondary candidate for the Senate general election. He was 67 years old, the same as his father. Although his situation is different from that of his father, whose death was predicted, Abe continued to be active in politics even after he left office, and perhaps he had the same “consciousness” about entering politics as his father in his later years.
Former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, was awarded the highest order “Chrysanthemum Medallion of the Order of the Great Order”. Figure: Retrieved from Twitter (file photo)