Abe Shinzo’s legacy is more impressive than his muted exit suggests
He not only reshaped the economy and foreign relations—he also paved the way for future reforms
THE RECORD was beaten in late August. Then, just four days later, the record-breaker said that he was, too. After serving the longest continuous stint of any Japanese prime minister (as well as the longest time in the job overall) Abe Shinzo announced his resignation on August 28th.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “How Abe Shinzo changed Japan”
From the September 5th 2020 edition
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