Shinzo Abe
Shinzō Abe is a Japanese statesman. He is the Prime Minister of Japan from September on and since .
Coming from one of the most influential political families in the country, he is a business executive and political advisor by profession. He succeeds Jun'ichirō Koizumi, to whom he is close, as Prime Minister in 2006 after being elected President of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD). He was then the youngest head of the Japanese government since Fumimaro Konoe in 1937. Following the defeat of his party in the senatorial elections in 2007, he had to cede the head of government to Yasuo Fukuda.
In 2012, after five years of withdrawal from political life, he regained the presidency of the PLD. Having become the leader of the parliamentary opposition, he obtained from Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda the convocation of legislative elections in December 2012. At the end of the ballot, his party largely wins, which allows him to regain the post of Prime Minister. With real popularity and taking advantage of a disparate and weakened opposition, in 2014 he called legislative elections at the end of which he retained, with his ally Kōmeitō, the two-thirds majority in the lower house of the Diet of Japan. His party won a two-thirds majority again after the early parliamentary elections in 2017.
At the end of 2019, Shinzō Abe becomes the longest-lived prime minister in Japanese history.
In August, he announces his resignation by invoking an illness that had already forced him to leave power in 2007, resignation which will be effective when a successor is appointed by his party.
Biography of Shizo Abe
Abe family
The origins date back to Abe Shinzō's three important families, influential in the Yamaguchi prefecture since the 21st century: Abe, the Sato, and Kishi. The Abe's were a wealthy sake and soy brewing family. The Satō and the Kishi, for their part, were two important families of the former domain of Chōshū, linked by matrimonial alliances and reciprocal adoptions: thus, Shusuke Kishi, maternal great-grandfather of Shinzō Abe, married a daughter of the Satō family and adopted their name.
In exchange, his eldest son, Shinzō Abe's grandfather, born Nobusuke Satō, was in turn adopted by the Kishi family who no longer had a male heir. One of his great-grandfathers is General Ōshima Yoshimasa.
Abe's maternal grandfather is, therefore, Nobusuke Kishi, Prime Minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960, who has also imprisoned as a suspect of a class A war crime from 1945 to 1948, as a former senior official of Manchoukuo, then from the Ministry of Trade and Industry in General Hideki Tōjō's war cabinet. Imprisoned for three years by the Americans, he was finally released without summons before the Tokyo Tribunal. Anti-communist pro-American, he leads a policy aimed at reintegrating his country into the concert of Nations and is the architect of the signing in 1960 of the controversial treaty of mutual cooperation and security between the United States and Japan, renegotiation more balanced between the two parties of a previous mutual security treaty signed at the same time as the San Francisco treaty in Septemberwhich ended the occupation of Japan.
Shinzō Abe presents his grandfather as his model in politics, seeing it in particular as the reference to one of his main objectives: to turn the page of what he calls "post-war society" and to restore national pride to the country. Japanese people.
In his book titled To a Beautiful Country, Abe wrote: “Some used to accuse my grandfather of being a 'Class A war crimes suspect' and I felt a deep repulsion. Because of this experience, by contrast,.
Shinzō Abe is the grandnephew of another prime minister, Eisaku Satō, brother of Nobusuke Kishi. His paternal grandfather, Kan Abe, was also a politician, an independent member of the House of Representatives from 1937 to 1946.
The father of Abe Shintarō Abe, son and heir policy Nobusuke Kishi became a figure important and influential policy in the 1980s, former foreign minister and secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, the party liberal-conservative in power continuously from its creation in 1955 to 1993 and from 1994 to 2009. Shinzō Abe's younger brother, Nobuo Kishi (born Abe but adopted by his maternal uncle), is also a PLD politician, elected to the House of Councilors for Yamaguchi Prefecture since 2004.
In his family tree is also Yōsuke Matsuoka, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Imperial Japan ( 1940 - 1941 ) and who was at the origin of the Tripartite Pact signed on.
Education of a political heir
Although born in the family stronghold, Shinzō Abe was raised in Tokyo Prefecture where his family settled from 1957 following the launch of his father's political career. He is educated in the private sector, in the establishments of the Seikei school company in Musashino.
In 1977 he graduated in political science from the law faculty of the University of Seikei with a rather mediocre rank 5. He then left for Los Angeles, , continued his studies in political science at the University of Southern California.
Back in Japan in , Abe works for the steel construction company Kōbe Steel Ltd., who could “refuse nothing to his father”, until 1982. He then entered his father's service as an assistant, first at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1982 to 1986, then at the Presidency of the General Council of the PLD from 1986 to 1987 and finally of the General Secretariat of the PLD from 1987 to 1989.
Political Journey Shinzo Abe
Beginnings
After his father's death in 1991, Abe ran in his place in the former Yamaguchi Prefecture's former First District in 1993 and, obtaining the most votes in the single non-transferable vote with a large lead (97,647 votes and 24, 2% of the votes cast, he totaled 31,938 votes and nearly 8 points more than the candidate elected in second place, the outgoing and former minister Yoshirō Hayashi, also a liberal democrat ), he was then elected for the first both in the House of Representatives.
Within the LDP, he joined the faction that was led by his father before him by Takeo Fukuda, now led by Hiroshi Mitsuzuka, the Council for the new policy Known for his desire to reform the internal functioning of the party to make it more democratic and less dependent on power struggles between faction leaders, for his search for administrative and economic deregulation and for his attachment to the Japanese-American alliance.
In the legislative elections ofThe first to be held according to the mixed system set up by the electoral reform of 1994, he was re-elected to the plurality voting system in the new 4thdistrict of Yamaguchi Prefecture (ie the cities of Shimonoseki and Nagato in the West), with 93,459 votes and 54.3% of the vote against 34.7% of Takaaki Koga of the Shinshintō (the main opposition force at the time) and 11% of the PCJ candidate. He was subsequently voted for in this constituency in each election, with 71.7% of the vote (121,835 votes) in 2000, 79.7% (140,347) in 2003 , 73.6% (137,701) in 2005 and 64.3% (121,365) in 2009 .
The first decade of his political career was discreet, while gradually beginning to appear as one of the representatives of the young guard of the PLD and of the reformist camp, he became from that time support for Jun'ichirō Koizumi to whom he brought the assistance of 'a great conservative dynasty. He is one of the pillars of the latter's first campaign as President of the PLD of, with two 30-year-old deputies who were also recently elected: Hiroyuki Arai (37, elected in 1993 ) and Nobuteru Ishihara (38, elected in 1990 ). Koizumi was then largely defeated by Ryūtarō Hashimoto, obtaining only 87 votes against 304 for the latter. Later, Abe was director of the party's youth office from 1997 to 1999.
He is part of the “NAIS Council” both a think tank and a political alliance formed by four young parliamentarians in their forties and reformers, on the model of the “YKK trio” created in 1994 by Taku Yamasaki, Jun'ichirō Koizumi and Kōichi Katō. As for the latter, the name of the "quartet" uses the initials in rōmaji of the names of its members: Takumi Nemoto, Abe, Nobuteru Ishihara and Yasuhisa Shiozaki.
On the other hand, Shinzō Abe initially seems, through his early parliamentary work or his positions within the party, to be a secondary member of the “Tribe of health and social affairs”. Thus, in 1999, he became director of the social affairs division of the PLD, as well as a director (i.e. the equivalent of a vice-president function) of the Committee on Health and Welfare of the House of Representatives. .
Of on , he was Deputy Secretary-General of the Cabinets of Yoshirō Mori and Jun'ichirō Koizumi before being appointed Secretary-General, and therefore number two of the PLD by Koizumi . This post will then shift him from discreet interest in social and health affairs to the place of a specialist in security and foreign policy issues within the majority.
The negotiator with North Korea
In 2002, he served as chief negotiator for the Japanese government to discuss with North Korea the fate of five Japanese survivors kidnapped from Japanese beaches on the orders of Kim Il-sung. He then forged a reputation for firmness and is credited with the important advances that this file was experiencing at that time, which made it known to the general public and even gave it significant popularity. Thus, he is preparing the visit to Pyongyang of Jun'ichirō Koizumi, the first of a Japanese head of government in North Korea, .
On this occasion, in exchange for the Prime Minister's expression of "deep regret" for Japan's attitude during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Kim Jong-il officially recognizes, and apologizes for, the kidnapping by North Korea of 13 Japanese citizens between 1977 and 1983.
A few months later, he obtained from the North Korean regime the return to Japan of the last five victims of these kidnappings still alive according to Pyongyang, on the condition that they then return to North Korea, on the following October 15, then attracted the support of Japanese public opinion, with Koizumi, by refusing this latest demand from North Korea and by now asking that these returnees be joined by their children born after their kidnappings and remained in North Korea.
Abe also led the PLD Committee of Parliamentarians Against “Excessive” Sex Education.
The successor of Koizumi
LDP secretary-general
Freshly re-elected for a three-year term at the head of the PLD on, Jun'ichirō Koizumi appoints Shinzō Abe (who was his campaign manager during this election for the presidency of the party) to the post of secretary-general, that is to say, the second position in the hierarchy of the party. This is a surprise then, given Abe's poor political experience and his youth (only two people before him were appointed to this post before he reached the age of 50, Kakuei Tanaka in 1968 and Ichirō Ozawa in 1989, both at age 47), but this decision was rather positively received by political observers and the media.
Indeed, Koizumi wishes to rejuvenate the majority in view of the early legislative elections set on, and Abe is then considered the master of electoral strategy. It also allows full play on one of the most popular actions of the government, that on kidnappings in North Korea (especially as a special cell on the issue of kidnappings is created and chaired within the PLD by Abe ). The Nihon Keizai Shinbun qualifies this choice as “a brilliant idea which makes it possible to highlight a new aspect”.
After these legislative elections, which mark a victory for the ruling coalition with 275 seats out of 480 (i.e. 4 more than in 2000, but 12 fewer than in the outgoing chamber), including 237 for the PLD, he presides over absorption onby the latter from the New Conservative Party. The latter, supporter of a " conservative revolution " on the model of the action of Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan or even George W. Bush, an ally since its creation in 2002 with the Liberal Democrats, thus brings its 4 deputies to the party, allowing him to regain the absolute majority on his own.
As secretary-general of the PLD, he is above all responsible for carrying out the internal reform desired by Koizumi, both of the organizations, in order to make it less dependent on the game of factions, more conducive to generational renewal and more transparent, and the political line. Thus, even before the legislative elections of 2003, a rule prohibiting the proportional representation of candidates over the age of 73 was adopted by the bodies of the movement. Later, a reform committee, chaired by Abe, is set up and present in Januarya plan which provides for the selection of candidates from within civil society for future elections on the basis of primaries, nomination committees or opinion polls that could be requested by any potential candidate in a given constituency. This plan also envisages making transparent, via the Internet, the use by party members of public allowances and subsidies, by means of smart cards distributed to all activists. If this project is not going to give an official follow-up, it will serve as a basis for the strategy of the "Assassins". young personalities, including many women, from civil society and more attached to Koizumi and his reforms than to the partisan apparatus, which will make the majority successful in the legislative elections of 2005.
He is also committed to revising the fundamental platform of the party, unchanged since 1995, by entrusting it to an advisory panel directly under his authority and entrusted to deputy Kaoru Yosano. The result of this reflection is presented in June and includes several reform projects particularly dear to Shinzō Abe: he plans to add among the party's priorities the search for "a national consensus for the establishment of a new constitution" (without commenting on this that it should contain), the call for a reform of the basic law of education and the expression of its resolution to fight against terrorism and crime. The party then sets up in Decembera committee to draft a constitution, chaired by former Prime Minister, Yoshirō Mori, officer, at the time of the faction of Seiwakai. This new platform, as well as the constitutional project, officially adopted at the 50th anniversary of the formation .
But he must above all manage the sling of the opposition to the Diet concerning the pension reform prepared by the government, as well as the scandal affecting precisely at the same time the pensions of several political figures of the majority. This, coupled with the unpopular participation of Japan in reconstruction missions in the military coalition in Iraq, for the first time since the arrival of Jun'ichirō Koizumi in 2001 made the PLD unpopular and suffered a fairly significant defeat. during the renewal of half of the Chamber of Councilors of(if the party retains the majority in the upper house thanks to its allies in Kōmeitō and the good performance achieved in the previous election in 2001, it is then overtaken in vote and seat by the Democratic Party of Japan, the main force opposition). Having personally invested in the campaign, setting himself the goal of winning 51 seats and ultimately having to settle for only 49, Shinzō Abe decides to take responsibility for this failure and announces his desire to resign from his post as secretary. general of the PLD. Jun'ichirō Koizumi refuses her for a period of, before finally accepting her.. He is replaced by the former Minister of Agriculture in Koizumi's first government, Tsutomu Takebe, but remains in the management nonetheless as Deputy Secretary-General and Chairman of the Reform Promotion Unit.
Shinzo Abe as a Chief Cabinet Secretary
The , during the constitution of the third and last government of Jun'ichirō Koizumi, Shinzō Abe was appointed Secretary-General of the Cabinet, succeeding in this post from Hiroyuki Hosoda. Through his functions, he is one of the spokespersons for the government and must manage the coordination of the various government services. After his appointment seen as the promotion of a faithful, Abe becomes one of the favorites for Koizumi's succession to the Kantei for which he officially declares his candidacy on.
, he is, unsurprisingly, widely elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party, collecting 464 votes out of 703, or 267 parliamentarians and 187 delegates, far ahead of the other two candidates, Tarō Asō (136 votes) and Sadakazu Tanigaki (102 votes). The support of the two powerful factions that are the Seiwakai, close to former Prime Minister Yoshirō Mori and to which Shinzō Abe belongs, and of the Heiseikai, faction of former Prime Minister Ryūtarō Hashimotowas decisive in the choice of the big voters of the PLD, just as his nationalist convictions close to the "hawks" in matters of foreign policy were able to favor his appointment at the head of the party in power.
Six days later, Shinzō Abe was logically elected Prime Minister of Japan by 339 votes out of 475 in the House of Representatives; on the other hand, he is elected to the House of Councilors by a much smaller majority. Aged 52, he became the fifty-seventh head of the Japanese government since 1885.
First elected Kantei
Considered the big favorite against Sadakazu Tanigaki and Tarō Asō, he was elected on September 20, 2006, at the head of the PLD with 464 votes out of 703.
As a result, on September 26 he succeeded Jun'ichirō Koizumi at Kantei. He becomes the second-youngest prime minister in the country's history after Fumimaro Konoe as well as one of the most nationalist, enjoying a very positive public opinion.
But, less than a year later, that popularity has collapsed (less than 30% of the Japanese population support his actions) and Abe announces his intention to step down as prime minister on . Among the reasons for this unpopularity, Abe surrounded himself mainly with ministers from his “personal coterie”, five of them had to resign for embezzlement and one committed suicide. He abandoned the issue of the dysfunction of the pension system that threatens millions of Japanese to favor other points of his program and is confronted with the failure of the PLD during the renewal of half of the House of Councilors in July and the inability to extend an anti-terrorism law that allowed the Japanese naval force to supply United States military ships operating in Afghanistan. Abe leaves the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party.
The day after his announcement, Abe was admitted to a hospital in Tokyo. He resigned on September 25, 2007.
From the wilderness to return policy
After his resignation, his main concerns were his health and staying alive politically. To regain all his strength, Abe tries dietary supplements and even hikes. But it will Asacol, a new anti-inflammatory drug, allowing it to heal his illness.
Abe is recovering his health just in time to fight for his political career. He then decided to represent himself in the district he had represented since 1993 in Yamaguchi; he is also determined to quit political life if he ever fails to be re-elected in his district. Abe said in an interview for Suenobu broadcast by BS Asahi that at the time people considered his political career to be almost over. For Abe, it's about starting from scratch. To secure a large victory for Yamaguchi ahead of the lower house elections in 2009, he goes there almost every weekend, spends his mornings with the elderly, talks to primary school classes; he also goes to inauguration ceremonies and karate tournaments. Tsuyoshi Hatamura, an advisor to Abe, explained that Abe wanted to meet and talk to people in the district, although he was almost certain of being re-elected in this district because of the prestige of his family.
Finally, he was re-elected in 2009 with 64 % of the vote. Nobuo Kishi, his younger brother, explained that thanks to this landslide victory, Abe was able to regain a strong will. Abe is driven by the feeling that it is necessary to act quickly to turn the country around after the global financial crisis of 2007-2008, especially since China, an emerging power, seems likely to pose a serious threat to Japan. He decides to take several measures to regain his influence within the PLD: thus, he chairs a group of conservatives who are discussing the priorities that the PLD must have, including a necessary reform of education, stronger diplomacy and the removal of pacifist restrictions weighing on the army. Within this group called "Creating Japan", Abe is considered one of those who are really driven, deep within themselves, by an ideology inherited from his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi.
These meetings help Abe regain his influence within the party.
In 2011 and 2012, Shinzō Abe consulted with experts in economic policy such as Yōichi Takahashi, a former official of the Ministry of Finance, or Koichi Hamada, an emeritus professor of economics at Yale University. Both believe that the Bank of Japan has for too long been timid about using the instruments of monetary policy to get the country out of deflation. Abe becomes one of the main critics of the national bank's policy.
Abe decides in 2012 to run for the presidency of the LDP, which implies that if the party regains a majority, he could become prime minister again. According to Eitarō Ogawa, who wrote The Fate of the Nation, a book on Shinzō Abe that appeared in June 2013, several of Abe's relatives were against his running for the party's presidency. His mother Yōko, in particular, opposed it. But his wife, Akie Abe, supported him and got heavily involved in the campaign. Shinzō Abe said: "If I am unable to make Japan a large and robust country this time, then there is no meaning to life that I have lived until now. "
Back on the front of the political stage
He was re-elected president of the PLD on, thus taking the head of the Shadow Cabinet of the party, while early legislative elections are expected by the end of the year. As Sadakazu Tanigaki had done, he made his party vote in favor of certain legal texts presented by the DPJ on(including one authorizing the issuance of bonds necessary to finance the 2012 budget ), obtaining in exchange for the Prime Minister the dissolution on the same day of the House of Representatives and the holding of early elections on the following December 16.
Shinzo Abe: Favorite legislation in 2012
He is a favorite in the polls, himself being regularly preferred to Yoshihiko Noda but also to other rising campaign figures, such as the former Tokyo governor Shintarō Ishihara, to become the next prime minister, while his party remains in the lead in opinion polls. However, his lead is far, each time, from being important. Thus his personal support rating oscillates between 29 % in a Yomiuri Shimbun poll conducted from 23 toat 37 % in a previous survey conducted by the same daily on 16 and, while Yoshihiko Noda is in these two polls respectively at 19 % and 31 % and Ishihara comes second with 22 % for the survey of 23 and 25 November.
Other polls, conducted at the same time by other headlines in the national press, show even tighter gaps between the incumbent Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition who, however, still has the advantage (33 against 31 % for Asahi Shimbun on 15th and, 33.9 against 30 % for the Kyodo News agency on 24 and).
In terms of party voting intentions, the LDP attracts between 18.7 % of those polled by Kyodo News the 24 and 25 November (against 10.3 % in Japan Restoration Party of Shintarō Ishihara and 8, 4 % only at the PDJ ) and 25 % for the Yomiuri Shimbun from 23 to(against 14 % in the ARJ and 10 % in the PDJ, other surveys show, on the other hand, the outgoing majority party in the second position).
Political program
His slogan is "Putting Japan back on its feet", And campaigns mainly on security and foreign policy issues, which remain his main battle horses and once again make him present in the national or international media like a "hawk": he places the Japanese-American relationship at the center of his foreign policy project (promising to reserve his first official trip abroad, if his party obtains the majority, to the United States. United ), relaunches its old objective of revising the Constitution of Japan in order to recognize the status of "conventional army" to Japanese Self-Defense Forces, plans to increase the defense budget and advocates a firm stance in territorial disputes between Japan and its neighbors, especially with the People's Republic of China on the Senkaku Islands.
After including in its program, presented to the public , to install a permanent presence of government officials in the archipelago, he then proposed, during a speech in Tokyo , to use former ships of the Maritime Self-Defense Force to help the Japanese coast guard to “defend” the islets and prevent any entry of Chinese ships into their territorial waters. On the economic front, it places its priority in the fight against deflation (even reserving the right to reverse the increase in the consumption tax, which was voted in 2012 with the approval of the PLD, if the trend is not quickly reversed in the matter).
His plan, presented on, is essentially based on monetary policy measures and adopts a firm discourse on this subject with regard to the Bank of Japan, which it wants to push to adopt an inflation target of 2 or 3%, to carry out an easing quantitative limit, to set negative short-term interest rates and to buy bonds directly from the central government to finance public works (the LDP program also plans to spend 200 trillion yen on major works in ten years in the aim to make the country better equipped to face natural disasters).
If the markets reacted favorably immediately after these announcements (the prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange increased and they lost value against the US dollar ), the Japan Times considers these measures "unrealistic" (for the target of 2 to 3% inflation, this term is used by the Governor of the Bank of Japan, Masaaki Shirakawa, firm defender of the independence of his institution and hostile to any return to a quantified policy) or "dangerous for budgetary discipline" (for the plan to force the Bank of Japan to buy building bonds government), and that they “would cause collateral effects such as increases in long-term interest rates and inflation that would not be accompanied by stimulating economic activities.
"The economist Izuru Kato, institute Totan Research, says for his part, on the negative short-term interest rates: " I see no chance for it to be retained. " On the other main themes of the campaign, he was in favor of membership Japan to the negotiation process of the Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership (or TPP for Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership ), a battle horse of Yoshihiko Noda and PDJ, but including a case-by-case discussion in order to maintain "sanctuaries" and therefore protective tariffs for certain ranges of products deemed sensitive (particularly agricultural).
In terms of nuclear energy and its possible exit (requested, according to numerous polls, by a majority of Japanese people marked by the Fukushima disaster ), Shinzō Abe considers the goal set by Yoshihiko Noda of "nuclear zero" by the 2030s of "extremely irresponsible" and affirms that the PLD, in the event of a return to power, "will act responsibly to restart the operations of the suspended reactors once their safety has been established.
"Through his family history, Abe is deeply linked to the development of nuclear energy in Japan, to its local roots, and to the economic dependencies it entails for the communities that host nuclear power plants. Abe, however, plans to gradually reduce the energy dependency Japan against nuclear in the long term benefit of investing in renewable energy.
Obtaining a large majority
On polling day,, the PDJ, which had become very unpopular, suffered a severe defeat, falling to only 57 seats.
In return, this translates into an important victory in terms of the number of seats for the PLD, which alone obtains the absolute majority to reach the 294 elected. The majority vote explains this victory in particular, with 237 of the 300 constituencies won.
On the other hand, by proportionality, the party obtained only two more seats than in 2009, ie 57 out of the 180 to be filled. The 31 elected members of the New Kōmeitō (finding 9 constituencies by majority vote when he had lost them all in 2009, he only obtained one more deputy in the proportional ) allow the center-right coalition, with 325 representatives, to exceed the threshold of 2/3 of the members of the lower house (i.e. 320 members out of 480) necessary to pass texts even in the event of a contrary opinion from the House of Councilors, where there is still no majority.
The high abstention (with 40.68% of voters not having come to vote, this is the record since 1945 ), ten points higher than that of 2009, is analyzed by the media and political analysts as the sign of a sanction vote of the PDJ without real hope, nevertheless aroused by the Liberal Democrats. Takeshi Sasaki, professor of political science at Gakushūin University, says, for example: “The voters did not come up with a new choice, but wanted to punish the DPJ. " He added that the victory of the LDP " does not mean that voters are the measures advocated by the party in high regard. If you interpret the result this way, it would be wrong. " The executives of the new majority, including Shinzō Abe themselves recognize this fact during the election night.
During an appearance on television, the latter admitted that the Japanese had not given him a "100%" approval, but rather wanted“End three years of chaos”. He further says: "Unless the voters' expectations are met, their support for us will disappear." With that in mind, we have to keep a sense of tension [in the management of government] . "
Shinzo Abe as a Second term as Prime Minister
Back to political stability
The , Shinzō Abe, leader of the new parliamentary majority, is elected Prime Minister by the House of Representatives, with 328 votes out of 478 voters, against 57 votes for the new PDJ president, the former Minister of Industry, Banri Kaieda, and 54 votes to the former governor of Tokyo, Shintarō Ishihara. It is also in the House of Councilors, without reaching an absolute majority, in the second round, with 107 votes out of 238 against 96 in Kaieda.
As a result, Shinzō Abe is the second head of government to regain the title of Prime Minister, after Shigeru Yoshida, during the post-war period. The very day of his inauguration by the Diet, Abe presents his new government. He grants the post of Minister of Finance to former Prime Minister Tarō Asō, in office from 2008 to 2009, who, like other leaders of the planet at the time, responded to the subprime crisis with a vast stimulus plan . With the aim of implementing reforms and taking effective measures to stem the chronic deflation affecting the Japanese economy, 72-year-old Asō, who was prime minister when the PLD lost the 2009 elections to the DPJ, holds the posts of Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister of Financial Services.
Several posts are also granted to former ministers of the PLD. Thus, Akira Amari, 63, former Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), is given the new post of Minister of Economic Revitalization. Toshimitsu Motegi, 57, former Minister of Financial Services, is appointed head of METI. Yoshihide Suga, 64, one of Abe's closest allies and considered a reformist , gets the post of Cabinet Secretary-General and government spokesperson. This position is important since it coordinates the policies of the various ministries.
He also brought his opponents into the government during the elections for the presidency of the party, thus hoping to ensure the obedience of the PLD. Sadakazu Tanigaki is thus appointed Minister of Justice. Nobuteru Ishihara is appointed Minister of Environment and Nuclear Crisis Management. Only two women enter the government: Masako Morris appointed Minister of State for Women's Empowerment and Children's Education, Minister of State for Combating Demographic Decline and Minister of State for Gender Equality and Tomomi Inada, an ultra-conservative close to 'Abe, is in charge of Administrative Reform and Strategy for Cool Japan. Very quickly, Abe supervises his ministers; there is no question of the latter expressing an opinion different from that of the Cabinet.
They are also dispatched to the field. At the same time, Abe is working on his image to ensure the support of the population. Unlike his predecessors, he does not hesitate to use what new technologies can bring to government communication. , its services have put online a smartphone application, downloadable from the Kantei website (the residence of the Prime Ministers). It provides access to the Prime Minister's Office Facebook page, information on the policy implemented by the Prime Minister as well as his activities. Abe also uses his own Facebook account to specify his choices, upload photos were taken while on the move or send direct messages.
He also made a vote in Parliament a reform authorizing the use of social networks as of the senatorial election campaign of July 2013 and ended the daily briefings in effect during his first stint as head of government. These briefings had been put together by Jun'ichirō Koizumi, his charismatic predecessor, and had never been deleted since. From now on, Abe keeps important announcements aside and doesn't hesitate to shake up habits.
In January, he invited himself in the middle of a talk show broadcast in Kansai and he chooses his television appearances without worrying about respecting the balance between the major national channels.
He also opened, and this is a first in the history of the country, the children the doors of the Prime Minister's residence in the district of Nagata in Tokyo. Making the economy his priority, Abe is at the origin of what economists and investors call the Abenomics. He theorizes a recovery of Japan through what he calls the three arrows: a massive devaluation of the yen to gain a competitive advantage vis-à-vis its neighbors, a fiscal stimulus and a long-term growth strategy.
Building on the success of this policy with businesses, investors, and the Japanese population as a whole, Shinzō Abe achieved popularity rates between 63% and 72% throughout his first year in office. At the same time, the PLD is also increasing its popularity. Abe's strong popularity helps ensure the loyalty of members of his party who have not been torn apart in factional wars. This unity displayed behind the Prime Minister led to a large victory for the PLD in the 2013 Japanese House of Advisors elections. Following a campaign animated by debates around the reform of the Japanese Constitution, the PLD and its ally the New Kōmeitōwon an absolute majority of 135 seats .
At the same time, the PDJ recorded its worst results and fell to 59 seats. Shinzō Abe, therefore, benefits from a return to political stability during this first year at the head of the country, a situation unheard of since Jun'ichirō Koizumi, which prompts the Japanese media to predict that Abe should remain in power at least until 2016, date of the next elections to the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors.
Moreover, Shinzō Abe, from the opening of the extraordinary session of the Diet on October 15, tried to carry out reforms in order to strengthen the authority of the Prime Minister and his government.
Indeed, on November 6, his government approved a reform of the public administration aimed at creating a new entity to manage the appointments of senior officials. This entity will be directly under the authority of the Prime Minister's office. The government wanted the Diet to adopt this reform before the end of the extraordinary session in order to set up the new entity in the spring of 2014.
The government has also presented to parliament a bill, subject to debate, which aims to allow members of the government and the Prime Minister to attend the sessions of the Diet for fewer days.
Indeed, Japan is one of the countries where members of the government have to appear in parliament the most. For example, the Prime Minister is obliged to attend the sessions of the Diet for at least 120 days a year compared to around 30 days in the United Kingdom and 11 days in Germany. This system is criticized because it would prevent members of the government from devoting themselves fully to their work since they must attend parliamentary debates. Abe also intends to take advantage of this reform in order to travel abroad more often.
On November 9, 2013, Parliament approved the nomination of 29 government-chosen candidates to senior positions in 12 public bodies, including the NHK.
In fact, the parliament approved the appointment to the NHK management committee (made up of 12 seats) of five people. Writer Naoki Hyakuta (author including Zero for Eternity, a manga about a man's research on his kamikaze grandfather), Michiko Hasegawa, professor at Saitama University, Katsuhiko Honda, advisor for Japan Tobacco, Naomasa Nakajima, director of Kayo high school are new nominees, all close to Shinzō Abe. Susumu Ishihara will be reappointed to his post on the management committee. Opposition parties accused Abe of wanting to influence the election of the next NHK president. Indeed, the president of the NHK is elected by the 12 members of the management committee.
Finally, on December 20, 2013, the NHK Board of Directors appointed Katsuto Momii as NHK President. This one, former president of Nihon Unisys, is close to business leaders who have close ties to Shinzō Abe. Moreover, Katsuto Momii said to support a reform of the Japanese Constitution and the Law on the state secret, driven by the Abe government.
Shinzo Abe: First political battles
Shinzō Abe had pledged in his electoral program to set up the equivalent of the National Security Council ( United States ) in order to strengthen in particular the role of the Prime Minister and his government in foreign and military policy. This Council is also a response to the rise in tensions with China.
In December, parliament voted in favor of the creation of this Council. But at the same time, Shinzō Abe, with a view to fighting against the leaks of secret information that have already taken place in the past but also to fight against espionage and to reassure his allies as to the security of secret information which communicated to him, decided to pass a law on special secrets.
This law on special secrets is in fact the establishment of penalties of exceptional severity for the disclosure of "special secrets", the definition of which is left to the discretion of the ministries. Anyone who divulges special secrets will face 10 years in prison. But the legislation does not clearly define the scope of the data to be classified. Senior officials will be able to do so with those they consider to be in the areas of defense, foreign affairs, the fight against terrorism or internal intelligence.
In relation to this law, there were twenty-two hours of debate in the lower house and seventeen hours in the upper house. On December 5, the parliamentary session was so agitated, not least because of strong opposition from the opposition, that it had to be postponed. At the same time, hundreds of demonstrators protested around the Diet against a bill that they accused of being freedoms and resembling the law of preservation of public order of 1925, legislation that paved the way for repression opponents of the rise of pre-war militarism.
According to surveys, 82% of some Japanese would be opposed to this law. The media and several Japanese celebrities have also mobilized against the bill. Moreover, Shigeru Ishiba, the secretary-general of the PLD, caused a scandal among the Japanese population by accusing the opponents of this reform of committing "terrorist acts" by demonstrating. He subsequently retracted.
Shinzō Abe sought to make some concessions, especially in gaining the support of some opposition parties like the Association for the Restoration of Japan. The government thus under pressure from the opposition conceded the creation of a body that will have to monitor the designation process, and which would be completely independent according to Yoshihide Suga, the government spokesman. Another body will also be created to develop standards for naming and declassifying special secrets. It will be made up of experts. A third body will be made up of deputy ministers and will ensure that government entities designate secret information appropriately.
However, despite popular opposition, the government passed this law in force on , refusing the opposition's demands to continue discussions in 2014. The popularity of the Prime Minister for the first time fell from 10 % to 50 % of favorable opinions. But Shinzō Abe, released from all elections before 2016, according to one of his advisers would not fear going to 0 % favorable opinions.
, The date marking the end of his first year in power, Shinzō Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine in "private" title. It was the first Prime Minister's visit to the Yasukuni since Jun'ichirō Koizumi in 2006. Polls have shown that 69 % of Japanese believe Abe should have considered the diplomatic consequences of his visit to Yasukuni.
In January, the rate of Shinzō Abe popularity has increased again, however, reaching more than 60 %, even though 45 % of the Japanese would support Abe's visit to Yasukuni and 47 % will be opposed.
At the same time, Shinzō Abe began 2014 by announcing in his New Year's greetings his desire to speed up the revision of the Japanese Constitution. , nevertheless, Shinzō Abe focused in his opening speech on economic issues. Relations between the PLD and the New Kōmeitō have deteriorated since Shinzō Abe's visit to the Yasukuni. All the more so since the Kōmeitō supports in its principles the pacifist Constitution of Japan and has expressed its reservations about the constitutional reforms that Shinzō Abe wishes to put in place. Even regarding the collective self-defense right that Shinzō Abe wishes to grant to Japan in order to allow the Japanese Self - Defense Forces to come to the aid of an ally, the Kōmeitō remains rather reluctant. This growing dissension within the coalition was reflected in the municipal elections of Nago in Okinawa.
Indeed, on , Shinzō Abe and the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Hirokazu Nakaima, have secretly agreed that the central government will increase its aid to the prefecture in exchange for which, the US military base in Futenma located in Ginowan will be moved. in Nago, another town within the prefecture. This agreement thus puts an end to a standoff that lasted nearly twenty years because of the will of the inhabitants of Okinawa to see the American military presence greatly reduced within the prefecture. This dossier had poisoned relations between the United States and Japan for years. However, polls have found that 63 %of Okinawa residents opposed Hirokazu Nakaima's decision. The, the inhabitants of Nago re-elected the outgoing mayor Susumu Inamine who pledged to prevent this plan which satisfied Washington. The PLD criticized the Kōmeitō for refusing to call on its voters to vote for the government-backed candidate.
As a result, since the beginning of 2014, Shinzō Abe has approached the party leaders of the Association for the Restoration of Japan by meeting with Shintarō Ishihara and Tōru Hashimoto. He also approached the leader of Your Party (Japan), Yoshimi Watanabe. Although he can do without any alliance with parties because of the absolute majority obtained by the PLD, Shinzō Abe prefers to avoid being accused of forcing. He thus called on these two parties to be “responsible opposition parties” agreeing to have serious discussions with the majority party in order to implement reforms.
Both parties responded positively. Thus, Yoshimi Watanabe declared that “If the Prime Minister is determined to fight and if his strategies match ours, I will not avoid cooperation. " Yorihisa Natsuno, Secretary-General of the Japan Restoration Party said"Our party will cooperate on diplomatic fronts, security and constitutional as a responsible opposition party, but we will have in-depth discussions on issues of domestic policy but said the dispute points. "
The Democratic Party of Japan (PDJ), however, has rejected any cooperation with a government with ideals completely different from those promoted by the party. This was explained by PDJ president Banri Kaieda, who led his party further to the left than it was. At the same time, the popular Goshi Hosono, former secretary-general of the PDJ but who has become very influential within the party, is trying to rebuild the opposition by seeking to forge alliances, in particular with a new party, the Yui no to, founded by the former Secretary-General of Your party, Kenji Eda, and composed in particular of former members of Your party.
Since Shinzō Abe's visit to Yasukuni Shrine, , several of his relatives began to make statements putting the government in a delicate position both nationally and internationally. The, the new president of the NHK, Katsuto Momii, close to Shinzō Abe, caused a scandal by downplaying the subject of comfort women. He thus declared that “sexual slavery has taken place in all wars. Can we say that this did not exist in Germany or France? ” , Which in particular provoked the anger of South Korea and China .
A few days later, a member of the NHK's board of directors, Naoki Hyakuta, also close to Shinzō Abe, made denial statements about the Nanking massacre during an election rally. He thus explained that“In 1938, Tchang Kai-shek tried to alert world opinion to the Nanking massacre, but other countries ignored him. Why? Because it never took place! " Shinzō Abe declined to comment on these statements and as a close collaborator, they infuriated Abe as they have contributed to overshadowing his economic agenda.
In early February, Seiichi Eto, a special advisor to Shinzō Abe, posted a video on YouTube criticizing the United States for expressing “disappointment” at the Prime Minister's visit to the Yasukuni.
The video was quickly removed from Youtube. , the Wall Street Journal quoted Etsuro Honda, a government special adviser on the economy. He reportedly said the prime minister had to go to the Yasukuni because the peace and prosperity Japan enjoyed after WWII is due to suicide bomber sacrifices. Honda filed a complaint the next day against the Wall Street Journal, accusing it of distorting his statements.
Sensing that these statements threatened the future of the government, especially since Abe had already lost power in the past due to the statements of his relatives, Yoshihide Sugawent into "crisis management" mode, declaring during a government meeting on February 21: "We all need to solve this problem by being aware of the urgency. " Suga has lectured Abe advisers who have problematic statements in the press. On 25 February, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said that the statements of the extreme right on the Second World War did not correspond to the view of the Government.
Abe must fight on another front as well. The governor of Tokyo, Naoki Inose, announcedhis resignation against the backdrop of a financial scandal over a questionable loan dating from his 2012 electoral campaign. It is then announced that the elections will take place on.
In January 2014, the electoral campaign began. Shinzō Abe and the PLD have decided to support the popular Yōichi Masuzoe who has declared himself in favor of a gradual phase-out of nuclear power.
But former Prime Minister Jun'ichirō Koizumi, who campaigns against nuclear power, convinced former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa, in favor of an immediate exit from nuclear power, to come forward. The candidate backed by Shinzō Abe, Yoichi Masuzoe, was nevertheless elected governor of Tokyo by an overwhelming majority.
Indeed, 42.86 % of Tokyo voters voted for Yoichi Masuzoe. Morihiro Hosokawa even came in third with 19.39 % of the vote, behind Kenji Utsunomiya who obtained 19.93 % of the vote.
In April 2014, after the 3-point increase in VAT from 5 % to 8 %, Shinzō Abe launched into the battle for the by-election in the second constituency of Kagoshima. The PLD has decided to support Masuo Kaneko, former president of the prefectural assembly of Kagoshima. The opposition parties have decided to unite to support candidate Akashi Uchikoshi. This election was seen as a test for the Abe administration, being the first election to take place after the VAT hike. But on April 27, Masuo Kaneko was elected by an overwhelming majority to represent the constituency in the lower house of the Diet. This victory helped to weaken the opposition even further and to strengthen Shinzō Abe's influence within his own majority but also in Parliament, in order to pass the desired reforms.
Indeed, the New Kōmeitō, partner of the PLD in the majority, is opposed to Shinzō Abe's desire to reform the official interpretation of Article 9 of the Japanese constitution in order to allow Japan to exercise a right of collective self-defense. , that is to say, to be able to come militarily to the aid of an ally of Japan abroad. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces would thus have the right to intervene throughout the world while being able to use weapons abroad. The right of collective self-defense also divides the PLD . To unite the PLD around the principle of collective self-defense, Abe decided that this right would be exercised only in the Asia-Pacific region. After the Kagoshima elections, the PLD and the New Kōmeitō entered into negotiations to maintain majority unity, although Shinzō Abe did not really need them due to his party's absolute majority.
At the same time, , Shinzō Abe's government became the longest-running government since 1945 without any reshuffle. Shinzō Abe and his government have maintained a high level of popularity. Shinzō Abe, whose tenure has not been splashed by any scandal, announced a reshuffle of his government after the regular Diet session in late June 2014.
In February 2018, he lowered the maximum retirement age for civil servants from 70 to 80 for voluntary workers only. He invokes the problem of financing pensions, in particular, due to the long life expectancy of the Japanese (87 years for women and 81 years for men) and a low birth rate. This measure comes at a time when 19% of the elderly live below the poverty line - a record for an industrialized country - which forces a certain number of them to work while they are retired.
Controversies
A scandal over demand for appeasement towards broadcasting, the very controversial revisionist positions as well as a cronyism case for constructions, which are contrary to the tender, are controversies that affect Abe. National opposition is weak but triumphs in local elections such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. The Prime Minister nevertheless plans to stay in power until 2021, to thoroughly reform the 1947 constitution and to attend the Tokyo Olympics, of which he is one of the providers.
Shinzo Abe: Economic Recovery
Domestic Politics
Getting the 2020 Summer Olympics
Shinzō Abe was distinguished by its active role in obtaining by Tokyo of the Summer Olympic Games 2020 and especially since his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, had himself worked for the Assigned Games 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo when he was Prime Minister. Shinzō Abe thus left the G20 summit on September 6, 2013, to arrive in Buenos Aires, in order to support Tokyo's candidacy in front of the IOC members. He then assured, to sweep away all possibilities of rejecting the candidacy of Tokyo because of the problems of contaminated water leak in Fukushima, that“Fukushima has never caused and will never cause damage to Tokyo”; "Let me assure you that the situation is under control".
He clarified that "It is common knowledge that the sanitary standards in Japan for water and food are the most severe in the world"; “There is no health problem that we haven't detected and there won't be. "; “Today under the blue sky of Fukushima, children are playing ball and looking to the future, not to the past”. Shinzō Abe even announced measures on September 4 to address the water leakage problem in Fukushima.
An envelope of 360 million euros has been planned. Two-thirds of the newly invested public money should be used to create an “ice wall” underground to isolate the contaminated water under the power plant from groundwater. The realization of this wall will nevertheless take two years. The remainder will be allocated to the installation of additional means of decontamination of the water stored in reservoirs whose reliability is questionable .
Finally, Tokyo was elected host city of the 2020 Summer Olympics by members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to the detriment of Istanbul and Madrid on September 7, 2013. It edged Istanbul in the second round with 60 votes to 36. Following Tokyo's victory, Shinzō Abe's popularity rose again.
Shinzo Abe: Social Reforms
My Number
On 24 May 2013, Parliament adopted a reform allowing the establishment of the My Number system. All Japanese citizens will receive a 12-digit ID number from January 2016. These ID numbers will be assigned for life from birth. This reform is designed to simplify tax and social security reimbursement procedures. The identification numbers will make it possible to track income, social security, compulsory contributions, social assistance and benefits, pensions, and certain information in the event of disasters. The "My Portal" online system will allow each citizen to access their information and know what their rights are. It will also allow citizens to know who used their personal information and for what purpose.
In parallel, the government has set up a new independent authority to ensure data protection: the Commission for the protection of personal information. This commission will be composed of a chairman and six members. The members of the commission as well as the president will be appointed by the Prime Minister and confirmed by the Parliament.
Anti-Harassment Act
During the electoral campaign for the Japanese legislative elections of 2012, Shinzō Abe pledged, following several cases of school bullying that have affected the country, to fight against this phenomenon.
In January, the government began discussions on the implementation of an anti-harassment reform. Finally, on June 22, 2013, parliament passed the anti-harassment law. This adopted a broad definition of what is considered to be harassment, allowing in particular to include harassment from teachers, harassment on the Internet, harassment of other students, kicking or of students by hitting an other, put feces in the mouth of a person and threaten them with harm if they spit them out, intentional demolition of one or more property of a person ... All cases listed by the Ministry of Education and handed over to all the establishments of the country will have to be subjected to the police if proven. This law responds directly to the suicide of a high school student harassed in Ōtsu in Shiga prefecture.at the end of 2012. The school and the board were accused of mismanagement and failing to support the victim. The law requires the creation of committees within the various establishments. The members of these committees will include advisers and staff members who will be specifically responsible for preventing any act of harassment and advising students. If there are cases of harassment serious enough to risk the death of one or more parties, the law requires committee members to open an investigation. The results of these investigations should be given to the parents of the students and to the victims. The anti-harassment law also allows local authorities to call on third-party organizations in order to.
A new law on food labeling
On June 21, the Japanese parliament passed a law aimed at unifying regulations on food safety and quality and making food labeling easier to understand. The law provides for stronger penalties for non-compliance. The new labeling rules came into effect in 2015.
In fact, until then, the requirements for food labeling were defined by three different laws, which caused a lot of confusion for consumers.
Inheritance reform
On December 5, 2013, Parliament adopted a reform to remove an article of the Civil Code that discriminates against the inheritance rights of children born out of wedlock. With this reform, children born out of wedlock will have the same rights as others.
Resumption of the death penalty
During the year 2013, there were 8 people sentenced to death. Thus, at the end of 2013, there were 130 detainees waiting on death row. Justice Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki is, like the overwhelming majority of the Japanese population (85.2%), favorable to the death penalty in the case of the most heinous crimes.
Tougher sentences for young offenders
On April 11, Parliament adopted the law toughening the penalties for minors. Until then, minors committing a crime that would have earned them a life sentence if they had been adults could only be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison. Less serious offenses were capped at 10 years. The new law extends these two limits to 20 years and 15 years respectively. State-affected prosecutors and lawyers will also be able to participate in a larger number of juvenile trials. The Shonen Hanzai Higai Tojisha no Kai, an association of parents who lost their children because of young criminals, had vigorously campaigned for a law imposing more stringent penalties.
Reformation against child pornography
When it comes to the fight against child pornography, Japan was one of the laxest countries in the world. But the government has presented a reform to Parliament punishing holders of child pornography with a prison sentence of up to one year and a fine of up to one million yen (7,170 euros ). The reform does not apply to the manga industry. The lower house approved the reform on
Attacks on press freedoms
Between 2010 and 2016, Japan fall of the 11th to 72th the place in the annual rankings issued by Reporters Without Borders on freedoms granted to the press. This situation could be explained in particular by increased authoritarianism of the authorities since the return to power of Shinzō Abe: according to The Guardian, several journalists have lost their jobs for having criticized the government's policy; many textbooks would also have been censored if they did not correspond to the vision of history promoted by the authorities. TheVice-Prime Minister, Tarō Asō, had also considered it necessary to draw inspiration from the National Socialists in the way of modifying the Constitution to make it faithful to the values supported by the regime.
Energy policy characterized by support for nuclear
As soon as he came to power, Shinzō Abe announced that he was considering building new reactors, despite the opposition of a large part of the population to nuclear power since the Fukushima accident. He explained that “the new reactors will be different from those built forty years ago, from those in Fukushima which caused the crisis. We will build them by explaining to the public how different they are, in order to gain their understanding ”.
The government has also announced that it will support the restart of reactors deemed safe by the new nuclear authority, the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Commission. The latter implemented thenew nuclear safety standards that provide for the construction of giant anti-Sunami dykes near all exposed power plants as well as the doubling of the electrical connection to the grid to avoid blackouts.
Operators will also have to build more freshwater reservoirs on their sites and set up, within five years, an emergency control center to manage a crisis in the event of destruction of usual buildings. Passive autocatalytic recombiner that prevent the accumulation of hydrogen in the reactor enclosure - this is the phenomenon that led to the explosion of three of the four reactors at Fukushima - will also be installed . The restart of the country's nuclear power plants is conditional on compliance with these new standards. Of the country's 50 reactors, only two had been authorized to resume their functions by the former security agency after the Fukushima disaster.
As soon as these new standards were applied, the Commission began inspections of twelve reactors . These rules, considered to be the most demanding in the world, have been strongly criticized by the nuclear industry. Several analysts have explained that compliance with standards could delay the relaunch of power plants by several semesters and even lead to the definitive closure of some of them.
The government's desire to revive the nuclear industry is called into question by a series of incidents in Fukushima.
Shinzō Abe, in parallel, in June 2013, defined the export of nuclear technology as an axis of its long-term growth strategy. The idea of the government is to promote “packs” comprising at the same time the construction, the management, and the maintenance of the equipment. These packs may be supplemented by other services such as the construction of electricity or transport infrastructure. The METI estimated that a hundred nuclear reactors will be located in Asia over the next twenty years.
Shinzō Abe was awarded contracts in early May for the construction of nuclear power plants in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, then in Vietnam, which plans to have 14 reactors by 2030 . At the same time, Japan and India have prepared the signing of a nuclear cooperation pact that will allow Japan to export to India technologies as well as equipment to meet growing domestic demand. important . The 6, 7 and 8 June 2013, the French President Francois Hollande visited Japan. During this summit, Shinzō Abe and François Hollande agreed to cooperate more to promote their nuclear technologies.
At the same time, the French group Areva has entered into agreements with several Japanese firms to work jointly at various stages of the nuclear cycle .
In July 2013, Shinzō Abe traveled to Warsaw to meet his counterparts from the Visegrád Group ( Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary ). They decided to strengthen their cooperation in civilian nuclear power. Poland could have its first nuclear power plant by 2024 and the Czech Republic is counting on Japan to develop the capacities of its Temelín power plant.
However, , Shinzō Abe's wife Akie Abe said at a press conference: "I am anti-nuclear." She said she didn't like the idea of her husband trying to sell nuclear power plant technology. According to her, it would be better to offer clean energy . On October 2, the popular former Prime Minister Jun'ichirō Koizumi called at a conference in Nagoya the PLDto change the theory and advocate the abandonment of nuclear energy. According to him, "People in the business community say that the zero nuclear option would be irresponsible, but what it is much more is to continue on the path of atomic energy even when it does not exist. no waste treatment site ”.
He added: “Wouldn't it be more constructive to use the money that is spent to build power plants for renewable energies, on the pretext that it is necessary for economic growth? ". He explained that since the Fukushima disaster he had become a staunch opponent of nuclear energy . On October 7, Shinjirō Koizumi, his very popular son and considered a potential future prime minister at the age of 32, explained that it is time to seriously rethink the country's energy strategy . At the beginning of November, Jun'ichirō Koizumiasked Shinzō Abe to decide to abandon nuclear power. For Koizumi, it would be enough for Shinzō Abe to express the intention to abandon nuclear power and everyone would follow, especially since the Prime Minister, in power since the end of 2012, enjoys strong popularity.
"If Mr. Abe decides now, there will be few parliamentarians to oppose such a plan, while the people will cooperate and the intellectuals will swarm with ideas" to achieve the goal of freeing themselves from energy nuclear, he declared at a conference attended by 350 journalists . He added that he knows that even within the PLD there are anti-nuclear positions and considers that they should push the Prime Minister's orientations, while the coalition and opposition parties should do the same, each in their own way.
On December 12, the Abe government released a new energy plan challenging the direction taken by the previous DPJ government, that is to say, the "nuclear zero". The document states that "nuclear energy is important basic energy". There is no longer any mention of a percentage of nuclear energy in total electricity production over a given horizon, but the "zero" option is clearly abandoned. Moreover, while it was clear in the previous version that no new reactors would be built, this claim was deleted in the new document, suggesting that additional reactors could be built.
The document also pleads for an intensification of the use of renewable energies, in order to fight against global warming. However, he underlines that there is a problem of updating electricity networks to rationally manage the diversity of production methods, some of which (wind, solar) are unstable. Indeed, since the Fukushima disaster in 2011, the number of independent power producers using renewable energies has tripled. By including the hydroelectric energy, renewable energies represent 10% of the energy mix. The document also explains that any restart of power plants will be conditional on compliance with the new, more stringent nuclear safety standards that came into force in July 2013.
Hague Convention
, the Japanese Parliament approved Japan's accession to the Hague Child Abduction Convention, after decades of pressure from the United States and other Western countries, including Canada and France. Japan was, before this signature, the only G8 country not to have signed this international treaty created in 1980 and aimed at dealing with child abductions in the event of the separation of a two-national couple, which obliges them to return a child abducted in his country of usual residence. , the government officially decided to sign, accept, and promulgate the convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction. The government has also decided to set up a body within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which has the task of locating children abducted from one of the parents and also of encouraging separated parents to settle their situation amicably. dispute.
In the event of non-conciliation, the disputes will be settled by a court in Tokyo or Osaka. The text entered into force on
Environmental policy
Since and the shutdown of the country's nuclear power plants, Japan has seen a sharp rise in its CO2 emissions. Japan had pledged, under the Democratic government of Yukio Hatoyama, to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% between 1990 and 2020. But the Abe government considered this commitment unrealistic due to the shutdown of nuclear reactors since the Fukushima nuclear accident. The government has therefore chosen to abandon this commitment and aim for a 3.8% reduction between 2005 and 2020, which would amount to an increase of 3% compared to the 1990 level.
, 139 countries have adopted Japan a convention on the use and emissions of mercury, called the Minamata Convention in reference to the city of Minamata where thousands of people have been poisoned by releases of mercury. A binding legal agreement was signed in the city of Kumamoto under the auspices of the UN. By adopting the Minamata Convention, Governments have agreed on a number of products, the manufacture, import, and export of which will be banned by 2020. These products can be replaced by others, which will be introduced as those containing mercury are phased out.
Governments will also need to develop strategies to reduce the amount of mercury used in small-scale mines and will need to establish a national action plan within three years of the treaty coming into force, so as to reduce and, if possible, eliminate mercury. The Convention also regulates emissions and discharges of mercury from large industrial plants such as coal-fired power stations, industrial water heaters, waste incinerators, and cement plants.
Shinzō Abe pledged $ 2 billion in aid to help to develop countries to fight pollution during the period 2014-2016. He said: "It is precise because Japan suffered from mercury and overcame this ordeal that it today has a duty to lead international efforts to eliminate this threat.".
National security and "active pacifism"
Upon coming to power Shinzō Abe, the government decided, in the framework of a supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2012 - 2013, because of growing tensions with China, to pay 180.5 billion yen (1.6 billion euros ) additional to the Ministry of Defense to modernize four F15 fighter planes, buy new PAC-3 anti-missile systems and helicopters.
More specifically, it involves ensuring the payment of fuel and maintenance costs for early warning and air traffic control aircraft; allow research on radar technology capable of detecting small aircraft for long-range, and allow the preparations for the introduction in Japan of the transport plane MV-22 Osprey to the US Army. This vertical take-off plane could fly further and faster than helicopters then held by Japan, making it easier for its troops to reach distant Japanese islands.
To this extension were added some thirty billion yen (25 million euros) additional for the fiscal year 2012-2013, but not included in the package of special economic measures. With this budget extension, the defense budget stood at 41 billion euros .
The government has also, in the budget for the fiscal year 2014 - 2015 starting in April 2014, increased the defense budget by 0.8 % to 51.7 billion dollars. The budget coastguard, which is a powerful force and paramilitary very well equipped especially with many offshore patrol vessels (from offshore ) modern up to 4 000 tonnes and sloops helicopter carrier, rose 1.9 %, which is its first increase in six years. Shinzō Abe announced the establishment of a special naval force of twelve ships and 700 men to monitor the maritime region of the Senkaku Islands.
On June 26, the Ministry of Defense, under the auspices of Itsunori Onodera (the Minister of Defense ) released the Defense White Paper, indicating that China's lack of transparency regarding its military and security affairs was a “concern” for the region and the international community.
In this white paper, the Department of Defense considers it important to increase the capacity of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to dispatch troops to remote areas and to conduct joint military maneuvers with the United States to ensure that the Self-Defense Forces are preparing to reconquer any remote island that would be lost 116.
Under this white paper, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera requested a further 3 % increase in his budget for the fiscal year beginning in April 2014. This relatively large increase (the largest since 1992 ) should help fund the establishment of an amphibious unit, like the US Marine Corps. It is thus for the Self-Defense Forces to give themselves the means to protect, and even to reconquer by force if necessary, the Senkaku Islands.
In particular, the Ministry of Defense plans to purchase two amphibious heavy armored vehicles of the AAV7 type for the fiscal year 2014, in addition to four other AAV7s purchased during fiscal year 2013. The Ministry of Defense also intends to acquire V-22 Osprey, a hybrid transport device combining the capabilities of a helicopter and an aircraft thanks to its tilt rotors, and permanently install a PAC-3 (Patriot) anti-missile battery. near its headquarters in Tokyo. It is also about creating a new advanced detection unit with AWACS type aircraft and assigning it to the south of the country.
The government has bought 42 F-35 Lightning II from the American manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The Ministry of Defense also intends to fund research concerning the detection of stealth fighters in response in particular to the development by China from J-20 and J-31.
In addition, the ministry wishes to ensure the financing of three new ships for the Japanese navy including a destroyer, a submarine with conventional propulsion, and a rescue vessel for submersibles. The Cyber Defense will see its budget increased to 184 million. The Japanese Coast Guard will see its budget increased by 13 % to strengthen its ability to counter Chinese government ships in the waters around the Senkaku Islands. The ministry also requested 200 million yen to facilitate the planned introduction of US Global Hawk surveillance drones. during 2015.
The deployment of drones is mainly intended for the surveillance of nuclear and ballistic activities in North Korea. But they could also be used for the surveillance of Chinese maritime activities, in particular, because of their range of action and their great autonomy. He also intends to beef up surveillance around the Nansei Archipelago, which lies between the south of the main island of Kyushu and Taiwan, by forming an air unit with E-2C early warning aircraft. based in Naha on Okinawa.
These measures will be endorsed by Shinzō Abe who will even give the green light to a 5 % increase in military spending over the next five years. These expenditures of 24.7 trillion yen (175 billion euros) between 2014 and 2019 include the purchase of drones, vertical take-off planes, amphibious vehicles, and submarines.
Shinzō Abe, with a view to fighting against leaks of secret information that have already taken place in the past but also to fight against espionage and to reassure his allies as to the security of the secret information communicated to him, decided to pass a law on special secrets. This law on special secrets is in fact the establishment of penalties of exceptional severity for the disclosure of "special secrets", the definition of which is left to the discretion of the ministries. Anyone who divulges special secrets will face 10 years in prison.
But the legislation does not clearly define the scope of the data to be classified. Senior officials will be able to do so with those they consider to be in the areas of defense, foreign affairs, the fight against terrorism or internal intelligence. Under pressure from the opposition parties, the government conceded the creation of a body that will have to oversee the nomination process which Yoshihide Suga said would be, spokesperson for the government, completely independent.
Another body will also be created to develop standards for designating and declassifying special secrets; it will be made up of experts. A third body will be made up of deputy ministers and will ensure that government entities designate secret information appropriately. The reform was adopted by Parliament on December 6, 2013.
This reform was accompanied by the institution of the equivalent of the American National Security Council, in particular, to strengthen the role of the Prime Minister and his government in foreign and military policy. This Council is also a response to the rise in tensions with China. Parliament voted at the end of November 2013 in favor of the creation of this Council.
Shinzō Abe chose Shōtarō Yachi, one of his closest advisers and men of confidence, to head this National Security Council. Twice a month, it will bring together the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General of the Cabinet as well as the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and defense to discuss security issues . The administrative office of the Council was inaugurated on January 9. This office has 67 employees divided into six groups responsible for different issues.
Shinzō Abe said during the ceremony that he wanted this office to play a central role in the protection of Japanese people and the country's material goods. Since its creation, the Council has also set up hotlines with its American and British equivalents. It subsequently did the same with France, Germany, and Russia. Shōtarō Yachi immediately took office to the United States., United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, France, and India.
The National Security Council met for the first time onto discuss tensions with China, particularly concerning the unilateral establishment by China of a no-fly zone in China Sea . On December 17, the government adopted a National Security Strategy, a first since 1945. This strategy is based on proactive pacifism based on international cooperation. This doctrine is in line with the deepening of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan and of Japan's relations with Australia, India, France, and the United States. United Kingdom militarily.
The foreign policy of Japan
US and "pivot" to Asia-Pacific
From February 22, 2013, Shinzō Abe met US President Barack Obama who had just been re-elected to the White House. This summit was an opportunity for Abe to strengthen relations between Tokyo and Washington which would have been damaged according to him by his predecessors of the PDJ. Before arriving in Washington, Abe had stepped up initiatives in order to get a good start with the United States: Japan will sign the Hague Treaty, the regulations concerning the importation of American beef have been reduced, Japan will rearm alongside Washington. About the sensitive subject that is the relocation of the US military base from Futenma, Obama and Abe agreed to move forward with the already existing plan of moving the military base from central Ginowan to a sparsely populated rural area in the north of Okinawa. Abe and Obama have confirmed the importance of cooperation between the two countries to implement tougher and more effective sanctions against North Korea.
Obama praised Abe's efforts to resolve the issue of the Japanese kidnapped by North Korea in the late 1970s. He also offered his condolences for the 10 Japanese killed during the hostage-taking of In Amenas in Algeria by Islamist terrorists, and pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Regarding Japan's participation in the Hague Treaty, claimed by the United States for years, Abe explained that the laws relating to the treaty will be adopted in May 2013. Facing North Korea which has passed its third nuclear test .
on February 12, Abe and Obama agreed on their "determination to implement energetic measures in response to North Korean provocations" . Compared to TPP, in a statement released after a meeting between Obama and Abe, the two countries reaffirmed that "all goods would be subject to negotiations if Japan joins talks with the United States and ten other countries." The statement contemplates the possibility for the United States to maintain its tariffs on Japanese automobiles and for Japan to continue to protect the rice sector.
This press release, although of lesser significance during the negotiations around the TPP, enabled Shinzō Abe to speed up the process with a view to bringing Japan into the negotiations, by creating a certain consensus within his coalition. A stake all the more important as the United States was in the process of operating the strategy of "pivot" towards East Asia. But Washington needed its allies in Asia to be strong enough. It was, in particular, to be able to come to the aid of one of his allies (such as the United States) that Abe supported the idea of collective self-defense.
As part of a change in the official interpretation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, Japan could act to defend one of its allies. To this end, Abe has set up an advisory committee of government to address specific situations in which Japan could act to defend one of its allies.
Shinzō Abe also visited the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street on September 27 to promote his Abenomics to US investors. Abe then compared Japan to Gordon Gekko, the shark of finance played, in 1987, by Michael Douglas in the film Wall Street: "I came to tell you that Japan will once again become a country where you can make money. Like Gordon Gekko's return to the world of finance 23 years later, we can claim that Japan is back ”.
For his part, Barack Obama, in order to further deepen relations between Japan and the United States, appointed Caroline Kennedy ambassador to Japan on. This close friend of the American president is also the daughter of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who had boosted relations with Japan in the 1960s. On May 18, the US Department of Energy first authorized shale gas exports to Japan. Shinzō Abe had previously asked Barack Obama if it was possible for Japan to import American shale gas during the February 22, summits.
On October 3, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel, US officials in diplomacy and defense, met their Japanese counterparts Fumio Kishida and Itsunori Onodera for a "2 + 2" meeting, the first taking place in Japan. John Kerry and Fumio Kishida recalled that the document governing bilateral military cooperation had not been revised since 1997 while the global geopolitical situation had changed a lot since.
It was, therefore, necessary to review the Japanese-American alliance and to deepen it in several areas, including space, cyberspace, increased defense with ballistic missiles, or the threats posed by North Korea and China. The two countries have decided to install a second ballistic missile defense radar in central Japan. They also agreed on the departure of about 5,000 American soldiers stationed on the island of Okinawa after 2020.
\This redeployment will be financially supported by Japan to the tune of 3.1 billion dollars, on the more than $ 8 billion it should cost. It was also decided to deploy, for the first time in Japan, two to three Global Hawk observation drones. Washington will also deploy in Japan P-8 Poseidon maritime observation aircraft from December 2013 (a first outside the United States ) and F-35 fighters from 2017.
It was also agreed to replace the CH-46 helicopters in Okinawa by MV-22 Osprey. Washington also supported Japan against China concerning the Senkaku Islands, recalling that these islands were part of the Japanese-American alliance .
However, at the beginning of June, a scandal of historic magnitude affects the United States: that caused by the revelations of Edward Snowden on the National Security Agency (NSA). On June 30, The Guardian revealed that 38 countries are priority targets to be spied on, including Japan, South Korea, India, Turkey, France, Germany, and Italy. Thus, Japanese embassies and diplomatic missions would be spied on by the NSA. According to Yoshihide Suga, Japan issued an official protest through diplomatic channels asking for an explanation as to why Japan is considered a priority "target" by the NSA. On July 9, Edward Snowden revealed the existence of the "Five Eyes" program, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.
This secret alliance formed after World War II is based on the sharing of intelligence and the common decision not to spy on each other. Japan, an ally of the United States, was therefore subject to American surveillance programs. The 1 November, a US official told NHK that intelligence collection stations are located at US military bases in Japan.
In late October, Japanese media also revealed that in 2011, the NSA asked Japan to help it monitor fiber optic cables carrying personal data across the Asia-Pacific region. It would have been an attempt to spy on China. But the Japanese government refused therequest .
Yet the Abe government, wishing to strengthen the alliance with the United States, has not really criticized the revelations concerning the NSA.
In addition, a government committee, chaired by Shinzō Abe, even proposed the establishment of the equivalent of the NSA in Japan. But on 30 October, the Corriere Della Sera revealed that the United States spied on telephone calls around the world, including Japan. Yoshihide Suga said the government has always taken measures against wiretapping and will continue to take.
On December 27, 2013, Shinzō Abe and the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Hirokazu Nakaima, agreed that the central government would increase its aid to the prefecture in exchange for the US military base in Futenma located at Ginowan will be moved to Nago, another city within the prefecture. This agreement thus puts an end to a standoff that lasted nearly 20 years because of the will of the inhabitants of Okinawa to see the American military presence greatly reduced within the prefecture. This dossier had poisoned relations between the United States and Japan for years. However, polls found that 63% of Okinawa residents were opposed to Hirokazu Nakaima's decision . On January 19, 2014, the residents of Nago re-elected the outgoing mayor Susumu Inamine who pledged to prevent this plan which satisfied Washington.
In addition, from the end of 2013, relations with the United States appear to have deteriorated slightly. On December 27, after visiting Shinzō Abe to the Yasukuni Shrine, the United States expressed, through Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, disappointment face a visit, even more, degrading Japan's relations with its neighbors China and South Korean.
In January 2014, the US Ambassador publicly denounced the "inhumanity" of the Taiji dolphin hunt. An attitude strongly criticized because, rather than improving relations with Japan, Caroline Kennedy publicly voices her criticisms on Twitter.
The United States, which welcomed Abe's reform on special secrets which thus ensures the security of secret information shared between the two countries, signed on February 7, 2014, through the Secretary of State of the United States. United John Kerry and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, the Agreement on Enhancing Cooperation in Preventing and Combating Serious Crime, or PCSC accord). This agreement allows the two countries to share the fingerprint data of suspected criminals in order to prevent and solve serious crimes.
This sharing will make it possible to constitute an online database that will allow automatic verifications in real-time. The Japanese National Police Agency and the FBI will mutually use the databases. The NPA will notably share 10.4 million fingerprints while the FBI will share 70 million. The deal will also allow Japan to maintain visa exemption for the estimated 3.5 million Japanese visiting the United States each year.
While the negotiations on the TPP seemed to flounder for several months, due to opposition between several member countries and the United States concerning in particular environmental standards, generic drugs and the role of state enterprises, Barack Obama announced in his State of the Union speech his intention to ask for a "fast track" procedure allowing trade treaties to benefit from an accelerated procedure in Congress. What his own party, the Democratic Party, opposed including Harry Reid, the leader of the Democratic Party in the Senate, who announced that he would block any "fast track" attempt in Congress, considering that the TPP as well as the Transatlantic Free Trade Area project could constitute a threat for the United States.
This weakening of Barack Obama both nationally and internationally has led to growing mistrust of him among the Japanese ruling class. Indeed, the question is asked whether Barack Obama really has the capacity to help Japan in the face of a foreign threat.
In early February, Seiichi Eto, a special advisor to Shinzō Abe, posted a video on YouTube criticizing the United States for expressing disappointment at the Prime Minister's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. The video was quickly removed from YouTube. Faced with criticism from Caroline Kennedy regarding Abe's visit to the Yasukuni, Yoshihide Suga, the government spokesman, explained that "The Prime Minister went to Yasukuni with the aim of building a country without war and we will humbly and sincerely explain this idea and seek understanding from other countries".
Another Shinzō Abe ally, Koichi Hagiuda, told fellow PLD parliamentarians in February that "This kind of mistake never happened under a Republican government. " The Japanese also criticized President Barack Obama for having finally decided to shorten his visit to Japan (2 days instead of 3) in order to meet the demands of the South Koreans. who wanted Obama to make a stop in their country during his Asian tour in April 2014.
President Obama has also been accused of not being firm enough against China, which has even gone so far as to set up a zone no-fly exclusion in the East China Sea, although this area has not been respected by Japan, the United States, or South Korea. Kuni Miyake, a former diplomat turned teacher at Ritsumeikan University, says the Japanese frustrations are also found in other traditional US allies like Israel or even European countries. Indeed, the Obama administration is withdrawing from international affairs, weakening the prestige of the United States around the world. The New York Times supported this idea by explaining in an article that during meetings concerning international affairs, Obama rarely gave his personal opinion and often read his messages on his BlackBerry.
During the nuclear security summit in The Hague being held on 24 and, Shinzō Abe and Barack Obama announced the signing of an agreement committing Japan to return to the United States hundreds of kilograms of uranium and plutonium, necessary for the manufacture of an atomic bomb, which had been supplied to it during the Cold War by the United States and the United Kingdom for experimental purposes. This announcement thus constitutes a victory for Obama who had made nuclear security one of his priorities since coming to power.
Indeed, Japan had stocks of plutonium and uranium stored in buildings 140 kilometers northeast of Tokyo., an easy target for terrorists. These hundreds of kilograms of material that can be used militarily will be transported to the United States for processing into forms that resist proliferation.
The next day, Barack Obama organized a trilateral summit attended by Shinzō Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye at the United States Embassy. This is the first trilateral summit in 6 years and also the first official meeting between Shinzō Abe and Park Geun-Hye, more than a year after they came to power. Obama's goal was to improve relations between the two Asian allies of the United States which have deteriorated since 2012. The three countries discussed topics such as North Korea.
From April 5-7, 2014, United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel traveled to Japan to meet with Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera. While recalling that the Senkaku Islands are covered by the Japanese-American alliance, he announced that the United States would send to Japan two new destroyers equipped with missile defense systems in response to "the provocations and destabilizing acts of Pyongyang".
He took advantage of his trip to Japan to warn China, recalling that the United States would not hesitate to intervene. He added that what happened with the Crimeais impossible in Asia. The United States will defend Japan and remain the gendarme of the Asia-Pacific region. He also supported Shinzō Abe's initiative to revise the interpretation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution in order to include the right to collective self-defense to help his allies militarily; this is the first time that the US government has supported this Abe project. Chuck Hagel then went to China, a trip in which there were exchanges stretched between US officials and Chinese.
In addition, China did not invite Japan to the naval review of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium bringing together since 1987 all the navies of the Asia-Pacific region. This year, it was China's turn to host the event for the first time, April 21, 2014.
In response, the United States announced that it would not participate in the naval review. Several other countries including India also protested. China has nevertheless denied that Japan was only invited to the regular conferences.
Meanwhile, US Trade Representative Michael Froman and Minister of Economic Revitalization Akira Amari have continued intense negotiations since early 2014 to finalize the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. The goal was to move forward in negotiations before Barack Obama arrived in Tokyo for a state visit from April 23, 2014.
Shinzō Abe met with U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy on April 12 and invited her to take a trip on the very high-speed magnetic train, the Maglev, which Japan hopes to sell to Americans. He said, “I hope the Ambassador enjoys this all-in-one package from Japan: cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji and state-of-the-art technology! ". The Obama administration has decided to invest billions of dollars to build high-speed train lines and the Japanese hope the Americans will choose the Maglev which has a world speed record of over 581 km / h. Caroline Kennedy estimated that the Maglev technology will bring "a lot to Japan and, hopefully, the United States".
On the evening of April 23, Barack Obama arrived in Japan to begin the first state visit of an American president since of Bill Clinton in the 1990s. Moreover, it is then the third time since his arrival in power that Obama visits Japan. Obama was greeted by Shinzō Abe in the Sukiyabashi Jiro restaurant, a small sushi bar located in a subway station in Ginza, awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide. Obama was accompanied by National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Ambassador Caroline Kennedy. The goal was to create an informal relationship between Abe and Obama.
The next day, Barack Obama met Emperor Akihito and his wife Empress Michiko. The two heads of state had a relaxed discussion in which Obama spoke about his experiences since coming to power in 2009. He then traveled to Akasaka Palace for a meeting lasting several hours with Shinzō Abe. Then the two leaders held a joint press conference in which Obama said the Japan-US alliance was the foundation for Asia-Pacific security and the US's pivotal strategy towards Asia. He also reassured the Japanese by saying:“The obligation of our treaty on the security of Japan is absolute. Article 5 of the treaty covers all territories under Japanese administration, including the Senkaku Islands ”.
It was the first time that the US president has spoken clearly on the Senkaku Islands. Obama added that US forces in Japan include "our most advanced military capabilities. " The American president also supported Shinzō Abe's initiative concerning the reinterpretation of Article 9 of the Constitution in order to grant Japan the right of collective self-defense to help its allies militarily. Regarding the kidnappings of Japanese citizens by North Korea, Obama met with families of the victims, including the parents of Megumi Yokota, and has called North Korea of "the most isolated country in the world"; he also called on China to cooperate on the North Korean issue.
However, on the TPP negotiations, Abe and Obama simply explained that the negotiations have advanced and that they asked the negotiators to speed them up. The two leaders did not manage to unblock the negotiations. Obama stressed the importance of Japan's trade opening; Abe responded by explaining that the two countries had to make concessions. Shinzō Abe concluded the press conference by explaining that he had visited the Yasukuni shrine to honor those who sacrificed their lives for the country but also for all those who lost their lives in the war. He explained that he campaigned for there to be no more war.
Shortly after, Barack Obama visited the Meiji-jingū and the National Museum of Emerging Sciences and Innovation ( Miraikan ) where he met the ASIMO robot and gave a press conference. In the evening he was invited to the state dinner offered by the emperor. The next morning, he traveled to South Korea. At the same time, a joint statement was issued explaining that on the morning of April 25, Japanese and US TPP negotiators reached a basic agreement allowing negotiations to move forward. However, the press release did not mention the points on which the two countries agreed.
