Shinzo Abe Tribute | BBC World Service
Shinzo Abe was the most consequential Japanese leader since the Second World War. But that wasn’t because of blind luck. Abe moved the dial through sheer force of personality, political will and policy creativity. Once he decided on something, Abe had little tolerance for inertia or entropy.
In short, he didn’t believe in hoarding political capital. He believed in using it to the hilt.
I saw this firsthand in Vladivostok of all places back in 2016. There as President of the Asia Society Policy Institute to moderate a public dialogue between Abe and, would you believe, Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
It’s often forgotten in the West, but there is still no peace treaty to this day between Japan and Russia following the Second World War. It is a running sore between them. A dispute arises over the islands seized from Japan by the Red Army in the fortnight between Emperor Hirohito’s surrender in August 1945 and the formal signing of the surrender documents.
More than 70 years later, at this conference in Vladivostok, Abe concludes his formal remarks by turning to Putin and addresses this unfinished business that had bedevilled leaders for generations. And, quite unusually for a formal address, Abe addresses Putin by his first name.
Vladimir, he says, I know your position and you know mine. We both lead countries with strong public opinion. But this dispute has held us back too long, Vladimir. And unless we have the courage to break this cycle, our children will bear the consequences for the long term. So, Vladimir, I’m willing to put all my strength into finding a solution, together with you, to do something different.
The room was stunned. Vladimir stunned. I have to say, as the moderator of the session, I was stunned. It was quite an overture.
Putin’s subsequent response was a very cold ‘nyet’. That didn’t surprise me one bit, and I’m sure it didn’t really surprise Abe. But that’s what made his effort so impressive was the fact that Abe was prepared to take a risk. The fact is Abe was willing to risk losing public face by making this public appeal, knowing in all probably it would probably fall flat. Very difficult for any politician to do, let alone in Japan where matters of public face count for a great deal. But the thing about Abe is had the guts to try.
Abe’s career had many achievements. It probably had just as many disappointments. Elements of his legacy still remain controversial. But nobody could accuse him of ever being faint of heart. That resolve made him a powerful advocate for Japan, and a worthy adversary for China.
Abe’s opponents may not have liked him, but they respected him, and the world is a much lesser place without him.