The shocking news of former Japanese prime minister Abe Shinzo’s (安倍晋三) assassination just recently broke. Since gun violence is so rare in Japan, and usually associated with the yazuka, this is particularly stunning for the Japanese people. It wasn’t until I lived in the US had I ever even heard any gun shootings, as I had spent the majority of my life in Japan and Europe. Gun restriction laws are very strict in Japan. We do not even think about the possibility of owning a gun, which feels completely surreal there. Guns are simply not a part of Japanese culture in any shape or form. This is why the man who shot Abe actually used a home-made gun, since commercially manufactured guns are incredibly difficult to obtain. Police have found many other home-made guns at the suspect’s home. You can learn more about the suspect in the linked video (in Japanese).
The motives for the assassination are uncertain at the moment, but it has raised questions about the safety of gaitou enzetu (街頭演説). Gaitou enzetu means “street oratory” and it is a tradition for Japanese politicians to do oratory speeches on the streets during political campaigns. If you have been in Japan, you may have encountered politicians speaking with megaphones near train stations or heard them drive around cities in small vans with posters and loudspeakers. This also means the politicians are very close to people, and also hard to protect.
On Japanese social media, I’ve seen criticism that the security failed to protect Abe. However, in my opinion, this is all also a reflection of Japan’s historically low crime rates and overall general safety. Japan is a very safe country with a culture that nurtures law-abiding, respectful and non-aggressive behavior in the people. As a result, the need for security is less than what you may find in other countries. Abe would sometimes walk his dog in his neighborhood without security, something difficult to imagine in the US. By comparison, in the US, you can often find security check points at most important events.
In addition to this, since Abe was a politician who was especially adorned by the right wing nationalists, his supporters are taking to social media to bash their critics. Although he was no longer prime minister, he continued to exert influence over politics and was often consulted by the current prime minister Kishida Fumio (岸田文雄) to whom he was a mentor. Abe was regularly at the center of controversies and scandals, for corruptions or for his ties with right-wing nationalist groups. Many Abe fanatics are now accusing those who were against him and his politics to have incited the murderer, or minimally taking joy in his death. However, those who are anti-Abe — and there are many — are actually very disappointed in his death, since they feel he is escaping responsibility for past suspect actions, leading to unresolved investigations regarding his suspected political corruptions.