Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe shot dead at Nara, Japan. Wife: Akie Abe, née Matsuzaki

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died at age 67 after being shot during a speech on Friday in Nara, Japan, doctors who were treating him confirmed.

Police said the shooting suspect admitted to shooting Abe. According to police, the suspect said he holds hatred toward a certain group, which he thought Abe was linked to.

He used a homemade gun in the shooting, and authorities confiscated several handmade pistol-like items from his apartment, police said.
Abe was the longest-serving Japanese prime minister in history. He stepped down as leader in 2020, citing health reasons.

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Japan's National Police Agency will review security arrangements for former prime minister Shinzo Abe after he was fatally shot during a campaign speech, the country's public broadcaster, NHK, reported Saturday.

Abe was shot in Nara prefecture in central Japan. He died on Friday from excessive bleeding and was pronounced dead at 5:03 p.m. local time, doctors at the Nara Medical University hospital said during a news conference on Friday.

NHK added that the police agency said the Nara prefectural police drew up a security plan for the former prime minister while in the city. The agency said that the prefecture's police officers and security personnel from the Tokyo Metropolitan police had remained on the lookout and had reportedly watched Abe from all sides during his speech, NHK reported.

The police agency did not state how many officers had been deployed to the site. However, it said several dozen, including one specially assigned personnel from the Tokyo police force and the Nara prefecture's plain-clothed police officers were on duty, NHK reported.

Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in Nara. He was 67.

Abe served two separate terms as the Japanese leader for the right-leaning Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) — the first from 2006 to 2007, then again from 2012 until 2020. His second stint was the longest consecutive term for a Japanese head of government.

He came from a family of Japanese prime ministers

Abe was born on Sept. 21, 1954, in Tokyo, to a prominent political family. Both his grandfather and great uncle served as prime minister, and his father was a former secretary general of the LDP.

Abe was first elected to Japan's House of Representatives in 1993, at age 38. He held a number of cabinet positions throughout the 2000s, and in 2003 became secretary general of the LDP. Four years later, he was named the party's president and became prime minister of Japan.

His first term was marred by controversies and worsening health, and he stepped down as party leader and prime minister in 2007. The end of Abe's first term opened a revolving door in which five different men held the prime minister post in five years until his re-election in 2012. He stepped down in 2020 citing ill health.

He continued to be an influential leader after leaving office

After leaving office, Abe remained head of the largest faction of the ruling LDP and remained influential within the party. He has continued to campaign for a stronger security policy and last year angered China by calling for a greater commitment from allies to defend democracy in Taiwan. In response, Beijing summoned Japan's ambassador and accused Abe of openly challenging China's sovereignty.

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Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died after being shot on the street in the city of Nara on Friday — a shocking act of violence in a country with one of the world's lowest rates of gun crime. The shooting suspect was arrested by police, who said he admitted to shooting Abe.

The shooting: Abe was shot at about 11:30 a.m. local time in Nara, east of Osaka, as he gave an election campaign speech on the street. He suffered a gunshot wound to the right side of his neck, according to officials in Tokyo. He was taken to the hospital first by ambulance, then by medical helicopter.

Rushed to the hospital: Abe arrived at the hospital in a state of cardiac arrest at 12:20 p.m. local time, according to doctors at Nara Medical University.

Confirmed dead: Abe was pronounced dead at 5:03 p.m. local time, according to the head of Nara Medical University. At a news conference at the hospital, doctors said the former leader died from excessive bleeding and the bullet that killed him had penetrated deep enough to reach his heart.


Abe redefined Japan's diplomatic and military policy
Abe will be remembered for boosting defense spending and pushing through the most dramatic shift in Japanese military policy in 70 years. In 2015, his government passed a reinterpretation of Japan's postwar, pacifist constitution, allowing Japanese troops to engage in overseas combat — with conditions — for the first time since World War II.

Abe argued the change was needed to respond to a more challenging security environment, a nod to a more assertive China and frequent missile tests in North Korea.

During his term, Abe sought to improve relations with Beijing and held a historic phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2018. At the same time, he tried to counter Chinese expansion in the region by uniting Pacific allies.

He attempted to build a personal relationship with former United States President Donald Trump. As Washington's relationship with Pyongyang tipped toward diplomacy, with both Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in holding historic summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Abe said he was "determined" to meet Kim. Abe wanted to normalize relations with North Korea and ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but his first priority was to bring some closure for the families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 80s.

During his tenure, Japan's relations with South Korea soured. The two countries were engaged in a major dispute in which trade and military intelligence deals were scrapped, partly due to the legacy of World War II and Japan's brutal colonization of the Korean Peninsula.

The "Abenomics"
Abe came to office during a time of economic turmoil and soon set about rebooting Japan's economy after decades of stagnation. Soon after he was re-elected prime minister in 2012, he launched a grand experiment popularly known as "Abenomics."

It included three so-called arrows — massive monetary stimulus, increased government spending, and structural reforms.

After a strong start, it faltered and in 2015, Abe fired "three new arrows" designed to boost gross domestic product. Any hopes they might eventually hit their mark were dashed when Covid-19 swept through the country in 2020, tipping Japan into recession.

One of Abe's major domestic achievements was securing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But the success of the much anticipated Tokyo Games was ultimately undone by the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced the competition to be postponed to 2021. 

Abe declared a state of emergency months after the first cases were detected. His administration was also criticized for the low rate of testing, and an early lack of specialist medical equipment to treat the rising number of patients.

More successful was Abe's handling of the abdication of Emperor Akihito, the first Japanese monarch to step down in two centuries. He was succeeded by his son, Emperor Naruhito, in October 2019, starting the Reiwa era.

Abe is survived by his wife Akie Abe, née Matsuzaki, who he married in 1987. The couple did not have children.

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Japan debut for mobile fuel cell

An alternative to batteries that uses methanol and water to recharge gadgets is to go on sale in Japan.

Made by electronics giant Toshiba, the Dynario fuel cell is now on sale and will only be available in a limited product run of 3000 units.

Toshiba said the unit, which costs 29,800 yen (£195), can triple the battery life of portable gadgets such as mobile phones and music players.

If demand proved high enough it said it would produce more units.

Anyone buying a Dynario will also have to pay for the methanol fuel to keep it running. A set of five refills is expected to cost 3,150 yen (£21).

Toshiba said the cell was ready to power gadgets about 20 seconds after it was fuelled with methanol. It estimated that each fill up produces enough power to recharge two mobile phones. Power is transferred via a USB cable.

The Dynario has a lithium ion battery onboard to store power that is being generated. The hand-sized unit weighs about 280g when empty.

Toshiba said it would be only available via its online store, called Shop 1048, and will start to ship the units to customers starting on 29 October.

Toshiba has been working on fuel cells since the 1990s but has held back from putting its prototypes on shop shelves before now. Fuel cells from other firms, including Medis Technologies in the US and SFC in Germany, have been available for some time.

The tiny Chihuahua who thinks he's a Buddhist monk. Auckland, New Zealand GDI

He is admired for his impeccable zen and ability to radiate a sense of inner peace.

And while other Buddhists may have to wait years to reach enlightenment, this devotee seems to have attained Nirvana in just two.

Unfortunately, appearances can be deceptive, especially when the "monk" in question is a Chihuahua named Conan.

The tiny dog actually launches into "prayer" when he wants treats - and is richly rewarded by impressed visitors.

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Praying Buddhist Dog

Zen-like: Practice makes perfect for Conan whose prayers are answered (usually very quickly) with treats

Conan, a two-year-old male with black hair and soulful eyes, begins his routine by standing beside a priest before the altar and staring intently at a statue of a Buddhist deity.

When the priest begins to chant and raises his clasped hands, the little dog also lifts his paws and joins them at the tip of his nose

He is now the top attraction at his Japanese temple.

"He started to pose in prayer like us whenever he wanted treats," said priest Joei Yoshikuni.

"Clasping hands is a basic action of Buddhist prayer to show appreciation. He may be showing his thanks for treats and walks."

"It's so funny that he does it," said Kazuko Oshiro, 71, who has been going to Jigenin temple on the southern island of Okinawa for more than 25 years.

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Buddhist praying dog

It's a dog's life: Conan's prayer pose is perfect

"He gets angry when somebody else sits on his favourite spot. He must be thinking that it's his special place."

Conan may not be as devout as first appearances indicate but he does seem to have brought his temple home good luck.

Visitor numbers have swelled by 30 per cent since his arrival and he a particular attraction for younger people.

"I'm glad that people feel more comfortable visiting the temple because of Conan," Yoshikuni added.

The art of the toilet in Japan

Smart young women at Panasonic show off the latest waresDuncan Bartlett discovers how, when it comes to lavatories, Japan is a step ahead of the rest of the world.
No country takes toilets quite so seriously as Japan.

Machines with heated seats, built-in bidets and a dynamic range of flushing options are almost ubiquitous in homes and public buildings.

A poem recently published by a stressed-out salary man captured their comforting appeal with haiku-like brevity. "The only warmth in my life is the toilet seat," he mourned.
But lavatories here can do much more than keep you warm. One even sends a tiny electrical charge through the user's buttocks to check their body-fat ratio. The master of the modern convenience is the Panasonic Corporation.

Booming market

At its Tokyo showroom, located in a skyscraper near the BBC's office, a group of smart young women, dressed in uniforms resembling flight attendants, showed me the company's latest wares.
The lids lifted up when I approached. If I stood in front of one, it took a guess at my gender and lifted up the seat as well.

There was a loo that glowed in the dark and another that had built-in loudspeakers.
With manicured fingernails, the demonstrator pushed the control panel beside the seat and gentle light classical music began to play. Pleasant enough, I thought, although I preferred a pastoral sound effect that provided the impression one was seated upon a white plastic throne surrounded by songbirds in a springtime meadow.

Japanese people do not see cleaning as a demeaning or shameful jobKyoko Ishii, who heads up the public relations department for Panasonic, explained to me that most of the people who choose luxury loos are older women, so this is a booming market in rapidly ageing Japan.
Kyoko says that for this core customer group, the emphasis now is less on the gadgetry and more on convenience and cleanliness. A new flush has been invented which does away with the need for a tank and saves dramatically on water.

The device costs about £1,950 ($3,000) including installation. But it is not easy to sell outside Japan as bathrooms in other countries are rarely fitted with the right mixture of sophisticated plumbing and electronics.

Clean culture

A visitor to Tokyo recently told me that he was surprised to find Japanese women rather than foreigners cleaning the toilets in his hotel.

Advertisements for toilets are screened on public transportIt is of course often immigrants who take on such jobs in rich countries. But foreign-born workers are rare here as only about 1.5% of the population are made up of non-native Japanese.

However, the low immigration level is only part of the explanation. Japanese people do not see cleaning as a demeaning or shameful job. School children are trained from a young age to sweep their classrooms and scour the playground for litter. Lorry drivers wash their trucks at the end of every day. No restaurant ever serves a meal without first offering the customer a cleansing towel.
Recently, I visited a small technology company in Osaka. The president, Mr Sugimoto, is trying to inspire his staff to work harder as recession takes hold.

The Japanese - like the British - do not seem to mind too much when comedians sink into vulgarity and joke about scatological matters He is noted for his drive and enthusiasm and that came across in a punchy presentation which he showed me on his laptop.

It included photographs of his staff on their knees scrubbing the urinals. His point was that in preparation for a new project, the whole team had mucked in to clean up the workplace and this was clearly a source of pride to be included in the company's publicity.

Source of comfort

But toilets can raise a smile, too. Television comedies sometimes include scenes of pranksters luring people into loos whose walls then collapse, and the embarrassment this causes the victim is a source of great hilarity.

The toilet then appeared to give a welcoming robotic smile and its seat began to glow an inviting orange colour as it heated up, ready for action The Japanese - like the British - do not seem to mind too much when comedians sink into vulgarity and joke about scatological matters. But there is also a dark underground trade in DVDs filmed in ladies' toilets by hidden cameras, and only last week a man was arrested for placing "spycams" in the lavatories of a girls' school. Most of the time, though, the Japanese are happy to think of a toilet as their comfort and their friend.

The other day, while catching a commuter train to work, I found myself transfixed by an advertisement which was being screened on a TV inside the carriage.

A young girl slowly walked towards a loo, which automatically raised its lid to greet her.
The toilet then appeared to give a welcoming robotic smile and its seat began to glow an inviting orange colour as it heated up, ready for action. Fortunately, the advertisement ended there. But not before a broad and appreciative smile broke out across the face of the girl.