Despite having left office two years ago, the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will have important and palpable consequences for Japan.
In many ways, he reset the course of contemporary Japan. Yet, for all that he accomplished during his record-setting tenure, a considerable part of his agenda remains undone and his death deprives those who continue to seek those objectives of their most passionate, committed and capable advocate.
Any complete and honest reckoning of his legacy must also recognize that Abe was a divisive figure. His fervent belief demanded engagement and he was willing, unlike many other politicians in Japan, to let conviction guide him. If he was sometimes abrasive, then that was the price of his passion. It drove him and sometimes divided the nation.