Shinzo Abe

In 2021, Abe had sent a video message to a Universal Peace Federation event, an organisation linked to the Unification Church. Following his assassination, relations between the organisation and the LDP became the subject of national scrutiny.

State of the evidence

Video message and interactions documented; precise significance debated

Legal status — source text

No legal proceedings against Abe

Attribution

Responsibility limited to documented interactions; Church fundraising practices not attributed to him

During an Abe election speech in Sapporo, police forcibly removed people shouting, among other things, "Abe, resign". Complainants argued that their freedom of expression had been violated, and the courts found certain police interventions unlawful.

State of the evidence

Police removals and litigation documented

Legal status — source text

Civil liability established against Hokkaido in one aspect; no evidence that Abe ordered the interventions

Attribution

Political attribution limited to the rally context; coercive acts attributable to the police

Abe launched a scheme distributing two washable cloth masks per household at the start of the pandemic. The scheme was mocked for the small size and cost of the masks, then affected by reports of mould, insects and other defects; inspection and storage costs were subsequently documented.

State of the evidence

Programme, defects and audited costs documented

Legal status — source text

No personal criminal proceedings

Attribution

Direct political responsibility as the Prime Minister promoting the scheme

Moritomo Gakuen purchased public land at a price far below its assessed value to build a school of which Akie Abe had agreed to be honorary principal. The Finance Ministry subsequently admitted altering documents, notably removing political references. An official involved in the alterations died by suicide.

State of the evidence

Controversial sale and document falsification officially established

Legal status — source text

No personal criminal conviction of Abe; personal intervention not proven

Attribution

Political responsibility; no personal order to falsify documents established

Abe's office covered part of the cost of dinners organised for his supporters before the cherry blossom viewing ceremony without correctly recording revenue and expenditure. Abe had repeatedly denied these subsidies before the Diet before acknowledging that his explanations were inaccurate and correcting them.

State of the evidence

Payments and accounting omissions established; Abe's apologies and corrections documented

Legal status — source text

Secretary convicted through summary proceedings; Abe not prosecuted for lack of evidence of participation

Attribution

Personal political responsibility for his explanations; direct accounting responsibility attributed to his secretary

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

Abe was accused of favouring Kake Gakuen, headed by his friend Kotaro Kake, in obtaining authorisation for a new veterinary faculty in a special zone. Administrative documents and contradictions concerning when Abe learnt of the application fuelled suspicions.

State of the evidence

Personal connections and authorisation process documented; personal intervention disputed

Attribution

Political responsibility alleged but not legally established

The Abe administration enacted a law expanding offences relating to the preparation of criminal acts. Opponents and the UN Special Rapporteur on privacy warned that overly broad definitions could encourage excessive surveillance.

State of the evidence

Enacted legislation and international criticism documented

Legal status — source text

No personal proceedings

Attribution

Direct political responsibility

Abe secured a reinterpretation of the Constitution, followed by laws allowing the Self-Defence Forces to assist an ally in certain circumstances even when Japan was not directly attacked. Constitutional experts, the opposition and protesters denounced an infringement of the pacifist spirit of Article 9.

State of the evidence

Government decisions, legislation and mass demonstrations documented

Legal status — source text

No criminal proceedings

Attribution

Direct political responsibility

Abe visited Yasukuni on 26 December 2013, the first visit by a serving Prime Minister since Junichiro Koizumi. China and South Korea protested, and the United States expressed disappointment.

State of the evidence

Visit and diplomatic reactions documented

Legal status — source text

No legal proceedings

Attribution

Direct personal responsibility

The Abe government enacted a law strengthening the protection of state secrets and penalties for disclosure. Journalists, lawyers and associations denounced overly broad definitions and a risk to the public's right to information.

State of the evidence

Enacted legislation and opposition documented

Legal status — source text

No criminal proceedings

Attribution

Direct political responsibility as head of government