I believe there were many things he left unfinished as a politician. But he planted many seeds and I'm sure they will sprout.

Tourism will most likely sprout, once covid eases.

Japan made somewhat of a shift toward neo-liberal, shareholder-based capitalism during the Abe years. However, Abe's successor certainly wasn't impressed, and is now vowing to replace it with a new version of capitalism that involves redistributing wealth away from the corporations and the rich and to regular working folks. Gotta love the "conservate" LDP! Let's see how the Kishida vision goes.

Mark my words, if Takaichi (or other likes her) "sprout," we are all in trouble.

Harvest the good ones, and prune the ones that did nothing to improve the lives of the common working class.

One doesn't wish to be disrespectful about the comments of a grieving widow, nevertheless, in a democracy one is entitled to say 'better let a new gardener do the landscaping'. On the surface of it, Kishida appears to be less of an ultra-nationalist, trickle down economics kind of guy....so hopefully, he'll be able to plant a more even lawn.

But the question always remains as to what degree the PM actually holds power over the ruling party. A comment I hear from some Japanese is that the PM is actually just a puppet of the ruling party. I personally don't know what degree of autonomy any PM has, but I have heard these comments made more than a few times by Japanese people.

No offense to Ms. Abe, but everything Abe did as PM led to disaster and was more often than not rooted in secrecy and scandal, from Abenomics to even Abenomasks. There was nothing he was more interested in than pursuing a nationalist agenda to return Japan to what he felt was the "glory days", cause inflation like we are seeing today (and suffering from), and then some. His policies work was unfinished only in that it was failure, and any seeds he planted need to be weeded out, not grown. The man quit his job twice, but was still trying to pull the strings. He did not at all deserve what happened to him, but neither should his plans for Japan be coddled and the embers fanned simply because he was killed.

Abe was a man ahead of his time. He will be missed.

Abe was a man ahead of his time ???? Did time go full circle?

@Chabbawanga

Yes, Abe was ahead of his time (in Japan) in the sense that he wanted Japan to have a spine. He wasn’t afraid to take a position. Most of the other Japanese politicians are weak and afraid to take a firm position, but Abe was the opposite of that.

Mark my words, if Takaichi (or other likes her) "sprout," we are all in trouble.

exactly

Concerning Abe's policies and overall legacy, I think that "weeding out" is more appropriate...

agree

No offense to Ms. Abe, but everything Abe did as PM led to disaster and was more often than not rooted in secrecy and scandal, from Abenomics to even Abenomasks. There was nothing he was more interested in than pursuing a nationalist agenda to return Japan to what he felt was the "glory days", cause inflation like we are seeing today (and suffering from), and then some. His policies work was unfinished only in that it was failure, and any seeds he planted need to be weeded out, not grown. The man quit his job twice, but was still trying to pull the strings. He did not at all deserve what happened to him, but neither should his plans for Japan be coddled and the embers fanned simply because he was killed.

Exactly! VERY well said Smith

Abe was a man ahead of his time ???? Did time go full circle?

Or just stop?

@smith: Inflation is a problem worldwide - being more of a prob;em here with YCC in place weakening the yen. LDP is faction based - and he was leader of the biggest, so of course he was pulling strings.

But he planted many seeds and I'm sure they will sprout.

One of the seeds is called "Kodomo Shokudo" where volunteers help feed needy kids and provide a place to go to after school.

Something any government should be ashamed of having when it is their job to prevent this kind of need. Abe did nothing for lower/middle classes.

I gonna pass on this