Topcare

I did also. So so sad.

rustykettel

and Inukai Tsuyoshi before that.

ainternational

This makes little sense to me. How can they publish such an article which doesn’t really explain anything. Seems very illogical. Oh wait, this is Japan.

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2...rs-motive.html

Granted nobody really knows but if so why even publish something like this. So he meant to assassinate a religious leader. Who didn’t show up for the event. So he decides to kill Abe, because of his involvement with the same religion? Increasingly sounding like this guy was either just simply crazy or he’s trying to dance around a real motive of killing Abe on behalf of some one or some organization who paid him and he’s coming up with explanations which make no sense as you’d expect from someone also dumb enough to take cash or perhaps pay back loans or other obligations in exchange for committing a crime. But in the latter case you wouldn’t expect him to go through the trouble to make a gun. So I’m leaning towards just a psychopath.

Anyone care to share their thoughts / opinions motive wise? And do you think they are talking about that religion his wife was getting dinged on supporting? They need to investigate how this particular gunman was involved in whatever religious organization they are talking about, if at all. And if he wasn’t then perhaps it was a payoff. And by “they”, I mean the cops in this case.

ainternational

This new news story helps clarify things a bit.

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2...rs-motive.html

alan11

Japanese police and/or media do not want to publish the name of the "religious organization" for probably a slew of reasons, hence why they are being vague. By doing so it could lead to the harm of other members, calls for revenge, investigations on the assassin's claims, and would put a spotlight on whether this organization is influencing the government and any corruption involved.

That said, it was inevitable for it to come out, and now Gendai Business News (via Yahoo News) has announced that it is the Unification Church (aka The Moonies), which many already suspected.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/6b...26786d22ed69d3

If you don't know them, look them up (they are often described as "Christian-fascist"). They are massively influential worldwide and own several media outlets, including UPI. Trump even has links with them and spoke at their events.

Topcare

sorry, you meant cult of nuts led by grifters.

hailstorm

Apparently the suspect's mother had been "influenced" by the "religious organization" to make large donations, putting the family in dire financial straits.

The suspect originally intended to kill leaders of the organization but, finding himself unable to do so, turned his attention to former PM Abe, whom he perceived as having a major role within the organization.

He also mentioned that he had been to a roadside speech that Abe had given the night before in Okayama, so clearly he had been looking for his opportunity for a while now.

lsquare

I hope Japanese democracy never changes. The politicians should get close to the people. I'm not a fan of the heavy security presence of prominent US politicians.

ainternational

But was Abe actually linked to that organization?

alan11

I hope it very much does change, in that it stops being dominated by a single nationalistic old-boys party that would rather go down with the sinking ship instead of implementing effective change and reforms.

But to do so, it would also mean having an opposition that wasn't utterly inept. But I sometimes have to wonder if the opposition camps are actually such buffoons by design of the LDP.

lsquare

I think you knew what I meant.

The opposition did rule for four years, right? How did that turn out?
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alan11

Yes. Like any good politician, he may not be a card carrying "member", but he linked himself with whatever group which would provide votes, support, and money, as long as the group was tenable to his beliefs, which were ultra-conservative.

Abe was a big fan far-right group Nippon Kaigi, but he also gave speeches for the Unification Church, and the LDP (Abe's Party) had long standing ties with them as well.

This article gives some details, but now that the Moonies are being named, I'm sure more links will soon be uncovered.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-tetsuya-yamagami-japan-prime-minister-shinzo-abe/

But here's a nice little nugget from 2006 (back when Abe had his first tenure as PM) found though the power of Google:
https://www.japan-press.co.jp/2006/2499/cult.html

alan11

​​​​​​​Exactly what I meant with them being inept.

hailstorm

Japan's is not a two party system. There is more than one "opposition".

lsquare

I know, but it's interesting that LDP has dominated politics since the end of World War II.