Who is Shinzo Abe, ex-PM of Japan? Know 7 facts about him

New Delhi: Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan, was shot in the city of Nara at 11:30 am JST (8:00 IST). He was shot while campaigning for Sunday’s election to the country’s Upper House. According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, at least two loud sounds, presumed as gunshots, were heard and Abe could be seen bleeding from the chest.

A suspect, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old resident of Nara, has been taken into custody. According to Japan Times, a gun was recovered from his possession. The former Prime Minister suffered from a cardo-respiratory attack after being shot. He is showing no vital signs, news agency AFP reported citing local media.

Who is ex-Japanese PM Shinzo Abe? Take a look at some interesting facts about him:-

1. Longest-serving PM of Japan: Shinzo Abe first became the Prime Minister of Japan in 2006, but had to step down after a year citing health reasons. In 2012, he again became the PM and served for 8 years, making him the longest-serving PM of Japan.
2. First Japanese PM to be born after World War II: Abe was born on September 21, 1954, in Tokyo. As World War II ended in September 1945, this makes him the first Japanese PM to have been born after the war ended.
3. Family with political background: Shinzo Abe comes from a political family. His maternal grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960. While his paternal grandfather, Kan Abe, served in the House of Representatives from 1937 to 1946. Shinzo Abe’s father, Shintaro Abe was a foreign minister from 1982-86.
4. Padma Vibhushan: India awarded Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian award, to Shinzo Abe, for his exceptional contributions in the field of Public Affairs.
5. Indo-Japan relations: Under his leadership, the ties between India and Japan flourished. Also, he became the first Japanese PM to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day parade in 2014.
6. Revising Article 9: It was a notable moment when Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution was revised. The article says, ‘Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation.’
7. Second resignation: Abe resigned for the second time in August 2020, again citing health reasons. Yoshihide Suga took the charge till the general election of October 2021, when Fumio Kishida became Prime Minister.