Nevertheless, Abe was quite active in foreign and defense affairs, albeit within a very hawkish framework. He conducted successful diplomatic missions to China and South Korea, elevated the Defense Agency to the Defense Ministry, and passed a contentious law on how to conduct a referendum on constitutional change. Despite these significant victories, the public’s dissatisfaction with his domestic agenda sealed his electoral demise. In August 2007, Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party suffered an historic loss in the upper house election. Shortly after, Abe resigned – officially for health reasons, but it was clear his ability to govern was irreparably damaged.
