It is difficult to make sense of the shocking news of the assassination of Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe. I lived in Japan for more than 10 years and can barely remember a media report about gun violence there. Moreover, Japan’s political culture in recent decades has generally been peaceful and civil, and such a violent act is unthinkable. Abe was the most consequential politician in modern Japanese history. His legacy—while not without controversy—includes a broad range of accomplishments, from strengthening Japan’s defense to reinvigorating its diplomacy to making Japan a more open and accessible country.
