‘Terrorism:’ Abe killing seen as attack on Japan’s democracy

Tokyo: An attack on democracy and freedom of speech. A throwback to the political murders of prewar Japan. Terrorism.
Public outrage, handwringing and vows of defiance by politicians and on social media are widespread following the daylight assassination by homemade gun of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a major political force even after he stepped down in 2020 as the nation’s longest-serving political leader.
The bullet pierced the foundation of democracy, the liberal Asahi newspaper, a regular foil of the conservative, sometimes history-revisionist Abe, said in a front-page editorial after the killing. We tremble with rage.
Also Read Shinzo Abe a true friend of India Part of the collective fury is because crime is so rare in Japan, where it’s not uncommon to see cellphones and purses lying unattended in cafes. Gun attacks are vanishingly rare, especially in recent years and especially in political settings, though they have happened.
But the shock can also be traced to the setting: Abe was killed near a crowded train station, in the middle of a campaign speech for parliamentary elections, something that Japan, despite a long history of one-party political domination and growing voter apathy, takes seriously.
Mikito Chinen, a writer and doctor, declared on Twitter that he voted Sunday because it’s important to demonstrate that democracy will not be defeated by violence.