Webinar: Shinzo Abe and the New Japan​ (YCAPS-JUMP)

September 23, 2020 , 11:00 am - 12:00 pm (Asia/Tokyo)

On September 23rd, the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS) hosted its ninth YCAPS-JUMP webinar at 11 AM JST (10 PM EST). This was part of a continuing series of events targeted to both service members in Japan and those in the United States. The featured guest was Tobias Harris, author of “The Iconoclast: Shinzo Abe and the New Japan.” With the news of his resignation, it is an apt time to examine the political legacy of Prime Minister Abe.

Tobias Harris, author of the only English-language biography of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo lead a seminar for nearly one hundred participants. He described the inspiration for his book, his general evaluation of Abe’s legacy, and placed Abe as a leading figure interacting with the contemporary Japanese political landscape. Much of the discussion focused on Abe’s achievements and shortcomings relative to his status of a source of continuity and stability as Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister. Participants generally acknowledged his strengths and a stand-out global statesman, but had mixed views of his performance as a domestic leader who was unable implement his socio-economic reform agenda.

Tobias S. Harris is a Senior Vice President of the advisory firm Teneo, covering Japan and East Asia. Since working for a Japanese legislator in 2006-2007, he has run the blog Observing Japan, commented on Japanese politics for major publications and on television and radio programs; and conducted graduate research at MIT and the University of Tokyo. From 2014-2020, he was a research fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA, where he studied Japan’s political economy and analysed public opinion polls.

Thank you to everyone who attended! Please stay tuned to our Twitter and Facebook for details on future events.