With the resignation of Prime Minister Abe (ahbay) Shinzo, a long chapter in Japanese politics is coming to an end. He first became the longest-serving prime minister of post-WWII Japan when he crossed his great uncle Sato (sahtoe) Eisaku’s record and then also broke the record of tenure since the office of PM was established in 1885.
Since our interest in – and understanding of – world history and politics is too West-centric, we tend to be more inclined towards America, Europe, and the Middle East while ignoring the Far East. The result is that we hardly have any experts, say in history or journalism, specializing in Japan. Perhaps it is about time we looked at countries in East Asia to get a better grasp of world politics, and to explore more opportunities for our labour force which Japan is keen to hire under its new policies to attract foreign workers.
In this column we look at Abe and Sato, the two giants of post-WWII Japan. We may start by reminding ourselves that Japan was the only country in the world that experienced a devastating blow at the tail end of the Second World War when the US dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The US displayed a complete disregard for human life by using the most destructive weapon on Japanese civilian population. The Japanese showed remarkable resilience by rebuilding their country within a short span of time, and were able to host the Olympic Games in 1964.
That was the time when Sato became prime minister of Japan. Even before that, Sato’s brother Kishi, who was the grandfather of Abe Shinzo, held this position from 1957 to 1960. Three premiers from the same family – Kishi, Sato, and Abe – ruled over Japan for two decades. This in itself is a marvelous feat in a country where prime ministers appear to file in and out in quick succession. In the remaining 43 years since 1957 Japan has seen 23 prime ministers making it less than two years for each prime minister.
Kishi ruled for three years whereas Sato for eight (1964-72) and Abe for nine years – 2005-06 and then 2012-20. Abe and Sato have some interesting differences and similarities. Perhaps the first similarity is that both Abe and Sato formed their first government after a relatively stable period of prime ministers who had ruled for more than four years. Sato took over from Akeda who was prime minister from 1960 to 1964. Abe formed his first government in 2006 after Koizumi had ruled for five years from 2001. Though Abe’s second government followed an unstable three-year period from 2009 to 2012.
Sato was the first prime minister of Japan who was born in the 20th century (in 1901), and Abe was the first prime minister born after the Second World War (in 1954). Before becoming PM, both Abe and Sato held the office of chief cabinet secretary for one year; Sato from 1953-54 and Abe 2005-06. Both formed their first governments without leading their parties to win general elections. In Sato’s case, elections had been held in 1963, and in 1964 it was a change in party leadership that made him prime minister.
Abe formed his first government after his party had already won general elections in 2005 under the leadership of Koizumi. In their eight-year consecutive rule, both Abe and Sato formed three governments each: one for two years and two governments for three years. The Olympic Games appear to be another similarity between them: Sato was the minister of state in charge of the 18th Olympic Games in 1964 before he became prime minister. He also oversaw as PM the Winter Olympics held in Sapporo, Japan, in 1972. Abe’s role was crucial in winning the 2020 Olympics for Tokyo, cherishing a wish to preside over the Games. (The Games have been postponed by a year to 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic).
Internationally speaking, both Abe and Sato had to address the three primary concerns of relations with America, China, and the Koreas. Since the US is responsible for providing overall protection to Japan, all American friends and foes end up becoming friends and foes for Japan also. In that sense, Sato had to manage Japanese relations with the Soviet Union too during the bitter cold war. Both had to deal with two US presidents for four years, each belonging to the Democratic and Republican parties.
When Sato became prime minister of Japan in 1964, US president Johnson belonged to the Democratic Party. Republican Nixon replaced him four years later in 1968. When Abe became PM of Japan for the second time in 2012, the US had a Democratic president, Obama, replaced after four years by Republican Trump. Abe had also been PM for one year (2006-07) when Bush Junior was the US president. Interestingly, both Abe and Sato dealt with two Republican presidents who faced impeachments – Nixon and Trump – though Nixon resigned in 1974 before his impeachment and that was after Sato had left his office in 1972.
Contrarily, they dealt with just one Russian or Soviet leader each: Brezhnev and Putin. Abe and Sato also have the unenviable distinction of having to face new nuclear powers at their borders. Sato became prime minister in Dec 1964, just two months after China detonated its first nuclear device in October 1964. Whereas Abe, within two weeks after becoming PM, had to see North Korea test its first nuclear weapon in October 2006. Abe had to withstand the pressure from North Korea, Sato had to bear the brunt of a nuclear China at his doorsteps.
Abe and Sato had to deal with nuclear matters as Sato first argued that Japan needed nuclear weapons to match those of China, but the US opposed such. The Johnson administration pressed Japan to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, ending, for then, Japan’s nuclear ambitions. During Sato’s tenure, the US was trying to woo China to establish a good relationship with it. In Abe’s time, the US has been attempting to isolate China. While Sato was not happy with Nixon meeting Chinese leaders, Abe had reservations about Trump meeting the North Korean leader.
During both periods, the US was entangled in prolonged wars in Asia and trying to extricate itself from them. Sato had to side with the Americans battling in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Abe provided his tacit support to the US in its prolonged presence in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. Another unique similarity between Abe and Sato is that the only two Nobel Prizes in literature that writers of Japanese origin have received were during their tenures.
The first Japanese writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature was Kawabata who won it in 1968 when Sato was prime minister. Ishiguro was the second writer of Japanese origin to win it in 2017 when Abe was PM. Abe and Ishiguro are exactly the same age, but Ishiguro became a British citizen in 1983. Still the Japanese people love him as their own and take pride in him.
Both Abe and Sato remained the president of the ruling party for nearly eight years each and both were members of the Japanese House of Representatives for over 25 years: Sato, 1949-74; Abe, 1993-2020. In short, both played unusually long innings by Japanese norms and provided much needed stability in national and international affairs.
Arguably, Abe was a notch higher in his performance with his efforts to reform the economy and bring more women into the workforce; and also maintain a delicate balance internationally with visible efforts to also improve relations with Pakistan.
Dr Naazir Mahmood, "Two Japanese giants," The News. 2020-09-07.Keywords: Political science , Covid-19 pandemic , Democratic president , Nuclear matters , Nuclear ambitions , National affairs , International affairs , Leadership , Afghanistan , Iraq , Syria , Soviet union , Vietnam , China