From the Atlantic Council
Condolences from global leaders poured in Friday after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated at a political rally in the city of Nara. He was 67 years old.
The country’s longest-serving post-World War II leader, Abe presided over a mostly stable period at home and sought to bolster Japan’s standing abroad. He also worked to roll back the country’s traditional pacifist policy to become more self-sufficient in defense.
We asked Naoko Aoki and Robert Dohner, nonresident senior fellows at the Asia Security Initiative, which is housed within the Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, what Abe’s death means for Japan’s future.