A stunned Japan grappled to make sense of the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who remained the most recognizable Japanese politician even after stepping down from office two years ago.
The graphic footage of Mr. Abe lying unconscious with blood covering his dress shirt rocked the consciousness of a nation where violent crime is rare and gun violence is almost nonexistent.
“These things don’t happen in Japan. This is like a movie,” said Tetsuya Yamanaka, 31, who was on a break from working at a convenience store in Nagatacho, an area of Tokyo where the national legislature and the prime minister’s residence is located.
Even Japanese people who said they don’t follow politics much expressed disbelief.
“I don’t know much about politics but, of course, I know Abe-san. He is probably the most respected prime minister and everyone in Japan knows him,” said Misaki Nagai, 34. “It’s very scary to hear about what happened to him
In the middle of a heated campaign period before elections for the Upper House of Parliament scheduled for Sunday, even opposition lawmakers asked that the comments about the shooting remain respectful.
Renho Saito, who is hoping to retain her seat in Sunday’s election, said on Twitter that she is praying for Mr. Abe’s safety with a heavy heart and that she is focused on putting aside “ideological differences” and focusing on “preserving democracy.”
Hiroshi Yamada, who is running for a seat in the upcoming election and is a member of Mr. Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said he went to pray at Yasukuni Shrine, a memorial with strong links to Japan’s imperial past.
He said the party had asked him to suspend his campaign, but he commented on Twitter that staying silent would be akin to “giving in to terrorism.”
