Shinzo Abe: A Memoir

The Unveiling of a Prime Minister’s Little-Known “Solitude,” “Decisions,” and “Secret Struggles”On July 8, 2022, former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe—who met a tragic end after falling victim to an assassin’s bullet during a campaign speech—speaks in his own voice. How was it that the longest-serving administration in Japan’s constitutional history came to be realized?Here, he reflects on the convictions he forged following the abrupt collapse of his first administration; his diplomatic maneuvering with the United States, China, and Russia; and his secret battles against the bureaucrats of Kasumigaseki seeking to topple his government, as well as opposition forces both within and outside his own party. Confronting wildly fluctuating approval ratings and waging a solitary battle, he defied headwinds to dissolve the Diet and stake everything on an election. This historic document serves as his own comprehensive retrospective on the entire behind-the-scenes saga—the repeated cycle of strategic gambles that allowed him to turn the tide and keep the wheels of government turning. Also included are fascinating anecdotes and private conversations with world leaders such as Obama, Trump, Putin, Xi Jinping, and Merkel.Presented here in their entirety are the complete transcripts of 36 hours of previously unreleased interviews—conducted over a total of 18 sessions—which Abe had once decided to withhold from publication due to their highly sensitive nature. Now, the little-known “solitude,” “decisions,” and “secret struggles” of this Prime Minister are finally revealed