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ONE PARTY MAN

Shinzo Abe Was ‘Trump Before Trump’—Except He Pulled It Off

His authoritarian legacy will live on for decades to come, and in retaining power, he even trumped Trump.

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opinion

Kent Nishimura / Getty

Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on Thursday in a scene reminiscent of the yakuza films he loved so much, gunned down in a crowd by a lone shooter who didn’t even try to escape.

The nation was shocked to learn that he had passed away when it was reported by state broadcaster NHK. There were many hoping that he might still pull through. In Nara, passersby began to place flowers on the site where he was shot, some praying for his safe journey through the spirit world to his next incarnation.

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