Who was Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese Prime Minister? Biography, Death, & Facts

Shinzo Abe passed away on July 8, 2022. He was the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan and was also the leader of the opposition briefly in 2012. Read about Shinzo Abe’s net worth, age, political career, health, wife, and other details.

Japan’s longest-serving post-war premier, Abe occupied the top post for eight years between 2012 and 2020, and before that, from 2006 to 2007. The former prime minister announced his resignation in August 2020, citing health concerns. He later revealed he was being treated for ulcerative colitis, a chronic intestinal disease. He was succeeded by fellow Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Yoshihide Suga, who was later replaced by Fumio Kishida.

Shinzo Abe Biography

Who is Shinzo Abe?

Shinzo Abe was a Japanese politician who served as the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan and the President of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. Shinzo Abe is known to be the longest-serving Prime Minister in Japanese history. From 2005 to 2006, he also served as the Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2005 to 2006 under Junichiro Koizumi and was also briefly the leader of the opposition.

Shinzo Abe was shot in the chest on July 8, 2022, while he was delivering a stump speech at an event ahead of the Upper House Elections on July 10, 2022. The 67-years old Shinzo Abe collapsed. 

Reportedly, after he was taken to the hospital, Abe was showing no vital signs. The former Prime Minister of Japan was shot at around 11.30 am in Nara and a man in his 40s, who is believed to be the shooter, was taken into custody.

Shinzo Abe: Personal Life

Shinzo Abe was born in Tokyo, Japan to a prominent political family with significant economic influence throughout the pre-second world war, wartime, and post-war Japan. Shinzo Abe’s family is originally from Yamaguchi Prefecture and his registered residence is Nagato, Yamaguchi.

Shinzo Abe’s elder brother became the President and the CEO of Mitsubishi Packaging Corporation, while his younger brother, Nobuo Kishi became the senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs. 

In response to China’s pineapple ban on March 1, 2021, Japan imported a record of 6,000 tons of Taiwanese pineapples. On April 28, 2022, Shinzo Abe tweeted a photo of himself with five pineapples and within five hours, the photo went viral with 6,94,000 likes. 

Shinzo Abe Education

Shinzo Abe attended Seikei Elementary School and Seikei Junior and Senior High School. He further studied public administration and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Seikei University in 1977.

Shinzo Abe later moved to the United States and studied public policy at the University of Southern California’s School of Policy, Planning, and Development for three semesters. He started working for Kobe Steel in April 1979 and later left the company in 1982.

Shinzo Abe pursued a number of government positions including the executive assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Private Secretary to the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) Secretary-General and Private Secretary to the Chairperson of the LDP General Council.

Shinzo Abe Political Career

Shinzo Abe Wife

Shinzo Abe married Akie Matsuzaki in 1987. She is a socialite and the former radio disc jockey. Matsuzaki is the daughter of the President of Morinaga, a chocolate manufacturer. Akie Abe is popularly known as the ‘domestic opposition party’ because of her outspoken views, which often contradict her husband’s.

Following Shinzo Abe’s first stint as the Prime Minister of Japan, his wife Akie Matsuzaki opened an organic Izakaya in the Kanda district of Tokyo. In addition to the native language Japanese, Shinzo Abe also spoke English. 

Shinzo Abe Net Worth

The net worth of Shinzo Abe, the former Prime Minister of Japan, is estimated to be $10 million in the year 2022. His monthly salary is estimated to be $70,000 with an annual income of more than $1 million.

Shinzo Abe health

Shinzo Abe resigned as the Prime Minister of Japan just after one year in office because of medical complications from Ulcerative colitis. After recovering from his illness and serving as the Prime Minister, Abe announced his second resignation in August 2020, as the Prime Minister citing a significant resurgence of his ulcerative colitis.

Powerful political family

The former Japanese PM hailed from a powerful political family that had been in politics for decades. His grandfather served as prime minister between 1957 and 1960, and Abe’s father served as foreign minister.

After his father’s death in 1993, Shinzo Abe ran in a general election. He became an influential figure in Japanese politics since then.

Served twice as Japan’s PM

Shinzo Abe served twice as Japan’s prime minister, first from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.

He first came to power in 2006 when he became the prime minister. At 52, he was Japan’s youngest post-war PM. However, he stepped down and resigned a year later as the Liberal Democratic Party lost an Upper House election.

After five years, Shinzo Abe then led his party LDP to a landslide victory in the 2012 Lower House election and became Japan’s PM again.

Abenomics policy

Shinzo Abe became known for his Abenomics policy. The policy helped Japan come out of a period of minimal growth and overall deflation. Abenomics policies are economic policies taken by Shinzo to revitalise Japan’s economy.

Longest-serving Japanese PM

After serving nearly eight years in office, from 2012 to 2020, he became the longest-serving Japanese PM. Shinzo resigned in August 2020 owing to health problems like bowel disease relapse.

Since then, he had remained a dominant presence over the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP), controlling one of its major sections.

Shinzo Abe Assasination

On July 8, 2022, the former Prime Minister of Japan was shot while delivering a campaign speech in Nara and died of his wounds later on the same day after reportedly suffering a cardiopulmonary arrest. He was 67 years old. The alleged shooter was arrested by the Police on the same day. His name is Yamagami Tetsuya and he was arrested for attempted murder before Shinzo Abe’s death was announced. 

Facts about former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe

• Japans first prime minister was born after World War II
• Shinzo Abes education
• Worked at Kobe Steel
• First elected as an LDP legislator
• Longest-serving PM of Japan
• Addressed Indian Parliament
• Awarded Indias second-highest civilian award
• Shinzo Abe, who helped strengthen India-Japan ties
• Notable moments of his leadership
• Sent troops overseas for the first time