Abe’s Death Changed Everything
Everything suddenly changed in July 2021 when Shinzo Abe was assassinated during the Upper House election.
Needless to say, the tragic death of an old friend struck Kishida with grief, as he made an emotional reaction in front of the media for the first time ever.
But, Abe’s assassination generated public sympathy and resulted in the LDP gaining more seats in an election that was anticipated to be a struggle.
Without the so-called “mourning votes,” the LDP would have probably reduced their numbers in the House of Councilors, invoking some criticism towards Kishida as the leader.
LDP came out victorious despite unfavorable odds
Abe’s death not only managed Kishida to win a close election, but also greatly diminished the Abe faction’s influence as it had lost their leader. The unexpected loss of their boss left the faction in confusion, only to maintain cohesion under a group-leadership of five prominent members.
Obviously, such dispersion of power within the Abe faction was beneficial for Kishida as he could exploit the Abe Five’s individual ambitions to divide and conquer.
Amidst this internal seismic shift, Kishida made sure to pay respect to the fallen faction leader by personally taking the initiative for Abe’s state funeral. In this manner, he showed courtesy to the Abe faction and kept them quiet for the time being.
Kishida making his eulogy at state funeral
While politics are engulfed with Machiavellian schemes and betrayals, the logic of “gratitude” is also equally important, especially when rallying support. This is perhaps something that stems from the moral codes of the samurai era, which historically emphasizes loyalty and discourages any betrayal.
Given such aversion towards betrayal, it was difficult for the Abe Five to immediately challenge Kishida whom had just did them a favor of arranging the state funeral.
Using The Corruption Scandal
Kishida made his next major move in late 2023 when the LDP was struck with a corruption scandal deriving from the none other Abe faction. The scandal saw the Abe Five being accused of issuing secret slush-money within the faction, resulting in their downfall as future PM candidates.
As his political rivals were ousted by their own doing, Kishida capitalized on the scandal to dismantle factions themselves, an unprecedented attempt in the history of LDP politics.
To compel others in joining this move, Kishida started by disbanding his own faction, under the justification of political reform and regaining public trust.
With the Prime Minister taking the initiative under a just cause, it was difficult for anyone to openly resist. Faced with the fear of being left behind and torched by public outcry, the other factions soon acquiesced
Savage moment of destroying his own faction
As such, Kishida demolished the deep-rooted tradition of factions, mostly without any consultation, thereby taking others completely off guard.
Many simply underestimated Kishida, assuming he did not have the guts to resort to such drastic measure, let alone executing it on a unilateral basis.
His actions proved otherwise, but unlike his low-key impression, Kishida is actually tough on the inside.
This characteristic was seen when he a home-made bomb was thrown at him in April 2023 during the local election season.
Shortly after this failed assassination, he went on making a speech on top a campaign car, exposing himself once more while seemingly unnerved by the attempt on his life.
It was as if he did not even care about being nearly killed just a few hours ago.
This incident revealed Kishida’s stubbornness, thereby indicating his potential as a confident, savage politician instead of an average LDP Prime Minister.
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