Shinzo Abe today entered the record books as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister after completing 2,887 days in office. There are perhaps two lessons to draw from Mr Abe's long and successful – if somewhat chequered – political career. The first is that even a field as cutthroat and competitive as politics offers up second chances, and second is the fact that it is incumbent upon the recipient of that second chance to learn from past mistakes.
When in 2007 Mr Abe stepped down, somewhat unceremoniously, as Japan's prime minister following an inglorious year in office, few would have predicted a comeback for him was even possible, let alone him becoming his country's longest-serving head of government more than a decade later. No man (for it has always been a man) had returned to office since 1948 and the consensus 12 years ago was that Mr Abe had thrown away a golden chance to build on the historic achievement of becoming the youngest prime minister of post-Second World War Japan.
The blame for that failure cannot be laid entirely at his doorstep. He presided over a Liberal Democratic Party that was already unpopular at the time, resulting in embarrassing losses in the upper-house election. That said, he failed to keep his cabinet in order as ministers resigned over their alleged involvement in financial or election-related scandals. Mr Abe himself stepped down in ignominious circumstances, citing ill health. While he did overreach in his bid to pass an anti-terrorism law, the fact remains that he had little support within his own party back then.
But Mr Abe has benefited from a fair bit of fortune coming his way in the intervening years. Electoral reforms passed in the 1990s – especially with regard to funding laws – helped heal divisions within the LDP and centralised and consolidated the power of its leader. As a consequence of those reforms, the party headquarters gained more power in the selection of candidates for electoral districts, which meant that the loyalty of party members shifted from their factions to the central leadership. While factionalism had begun to dwindle even before the initial rise of Mr Abe, the party leadership became even more important during the revival of his political career. With few viable leaders emerging from within the ranks of the party following its electoral loss in 2009, coupled with the then government’s inability to rally people during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Mr Abe crafted his return to the helm in 2012.
His own portrayal of himself as a strongman, ready to make tough decisions to yank Japan back from two lost decades of economic stagnation, appealed to the masses as well as his base, tired of watching the conveyer belt of prime ministers in the preceding years. It hasn't hurt that he is part of a political dynasty, from a constituency that has elected to office four of Japan's longest-serving prime ministers. He is himself the grandson and grand-nephew of two former prime ministers.
Abe 2.0 has had his fair share of controversies, with cabinet members resigning during his second term in office, as they did during his first stint. One particular controversy even implicated his family. However, he has benefited immensely from a continued lack of a visible alternative as leader, not just in the LDP but in Japanese politics. He has managed to distance himself from many of these controversies while remaining defiant amid the opposition’s calls to step down.
His domestic successes, in the meantime, have included the passage of an immigration bill to make it easier for foreigners to find work in Japan, known for its historically closed and homogeneous society but currently wrestling with an ageing and shrinking population. His triple-pronged “Abenomics” – a comprehensive economic policy package to sustainably revive the economy while maintaining fiscal discipline – has got the wheels of Japan’s flagging economy moving again, even if only slightly. He personally campaigned successfully to bring the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo.
Meanwhile, he has carved a niche on the global stage and lifted perceptions of Japan in the eyes of the world. Even after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Mr Abe pushed the trade pact's other member-states to pursue a TPP-minus deal. This, as well as his success in rebuilding diplomatic ties with China – frayed in the early days of his second stint, thanks to conflict between the two nations over a string of islands in the East China Sea – has shown that he is a pragmatic leader who is willing to innovate, despite his own deep-rooted political conservatism and nationalism.
Mr Abe has much left to accomplish, of course. Two of the three prongs of Abenomics, including monetary easing and fiscal stimulus, have had fair to middling success. He has had a more difficult time pushing through structural reforms, especially in the agriculture sector, although among the tough decisions he promised to make, he risked making farmers unhappy with his attempts to limit the power of one particular national agricultural cooperative with plenty of political heft that was long opposed to the TPP.
More than anything else though, Mr Abe is likely to be remembered for his determination to revise Japan’s post-war pacifist constitution that bars its Self Defence Forces from waging war with another country unless attacked first. Mr Abe has yet to convince a reticent public that reducing its military dependence on the US, enshrined in a treaty with the superpower following the war, is the right way forward – not just to lift the morale of its people but also to prepare itself for the worst, given that the US itself is gradually losing interest in global interventions.
Mr Abe has two years left in his term as head of the LDP, and therefore prime minister, and it is yet uncertain whether he will continue beyond 2021. However, even if he is unable to secure his long-held dream of revising the constitution, he may have sown the political conditions for his successor to continue that battle.
In any case, his legacy as one of Japan’s most consequential prime ministers – at least on the world stage – is set in stone. His first term in office might have been forgettable but in his second, he has made the most of being given a second chance.
Chitrabhanu Kadalayil is an assistant comment editor at The National
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Benevento (Kick-off 11.45pm)
Saturday Crotone v Spezia (6pm), Torino v Udinese (9pm), Lazio v Verona (11.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Atalanta v Fiorentina (6pm), Napoli v Sampdoria (6pm), Bologna v Roma (6pm), Genoa v Juventus (9pm), AC Milan v Parma (11.45pm)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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Available: Now
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight
Specs
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Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
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HERO%20CUP%20TEAMS
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What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
LEADERBOARD
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The biog
Name: Dr Lalia Al Helaly
Education: PhD in Sociology from Cairo
Favourite authors: Elif Shafaq and Nizar Qabbani.
Favourite music: classical Arabic music such as Um Khalthoum and Abdul Wahab,
She loves the beach and advises her clients to go for meditation.
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UAE rugby in numbers
5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons
700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams
Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams
Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season
Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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