Abe showed world 'Japan is back'

Shinzo Abe, a skillful statesman, showed world 'Japan is back'

TOKYO -- "I can't let my political career end like this," Shinzo Abe once told his close friend Taro Aso. Abe's first run as prime minister was cut short after just a year, in 2007, by a chronic illness.
 
He rebounded from this setback and went on to become the country's longest-serving elected leader. Nor did his life in politics end with his second departure from the prime minister's office in 2020. Abe's influence within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party remained strong.
 
What stopped the most transformative Japanese politician of his generation was a shot from a homemade gun, police say. As tributes pour in from around the world, Japan will assess Abe's legacy.