SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot on Friday while campaigning in the city of Nara, a government spokesman said, with public broadcaster NHK saying he appeared to have been shot from behind by a man with a shotgun.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said he did not know Abe’s condition. Kyodo news agency and NHK said Abe, 67, appeared to be in a state of cardiac arrest when taken to hospital.
Abe has remained a dominant presence over the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP) party, and is best known for his signature “Abenomics” policy featuring bold monetary easing and fiscal spending.
COMMENTS:
MIO KATO, TOKYO, LIGHTSTREAM RESEARCH ANALYST WHO PUBLISHES ON SMART KARMA
“I don’t think there are any major fundamental implications that can be determined… The market dropping and the yen strengthening are probably just that there are some ‘tourists’ investing in Japan because of the weak yen etc. so if this spooks them and they cut back on risk, it would make sense for the market to drop a bit and the yen to strengthen.
“Nikkei dropped more than Topix which I generally view as a sign of foreigner risk off.”
CHARU CHANANA, STRATEGIST, SAXO CAPITAL MARKETS, SINGAPORE
“While the details are still scanty, risk aversion is bound to pick up and global equities may see some sell-offs.
“We saw risk aversion building in with yen gaining on the knee-jerk, and this move may intensify as London gets in. The situation will raise questions about the sustainability of Abenomics, and that could possibly mean a policy shift in Japan.”
(Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Hong Kong and Rae Wee in Singapore; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
