Japanese nationals in Mumbai “shell-shocked” as Shinzo Abe dies after attack

I am humbled by the kindness of the Indians for their respect to Abe-san,” said Tomoki Iwata, a professional residing in Bandra

Pune/Mumbai: As the news of former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe assassination trickled in, Japanese nationals living in Mumbai were left distraught.

A painting by students of an art school to pay homage to former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, in Mumbai, Friday, July 8, 2022. Abe died after being shot at while campaigning for a parliamentary election in Japan's Nara region. (PTI)

“This is shocking news to hear that he has succumbed to his injuries. Many Indian friends in Mumbai are reaching out to us, this shows that his effort to have a better relationship with India had been accepted by all. As a Japanese in Mumbai, I am humbled by the kindness of the Indians for their respect to Abe-san,” said Tomoki Iwata, a professional residing in Bandra.

Abe was addressing a public rally in Nara, Kansai region on Friday, while campaigning for his colleague in the upcoming national elections, when the attacker shot him twice from close range around 11:15am Japan time.

The police have arrested 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami on an initial charge of attempted murder, and recovered handmade guns from his home.

“We are deeply aggrieved. India has lost a dear friend. Abe was a great friend of India and a supporter. His close relationship with Prime Minister Modi is well known. Recently Shinzo Abe was elected as the new Chairman of the India-Japan Association, Tokyo. In September 2014, under PM Modi and Abe San, India-Japan ties were upgraded to “Special Strategic and Global Partnership,” said Siddharth Deshmukh, President, Indo Japan Business Council (IJBC).

The India-Japan Association in Tokyo was established in 1903 to promote friendly relations between the two countries.

For the 1000-strong Japanese population living and working in Mumbai and the rest of the state, the news came as a shock. There are around 9,000 Japanese nationals residing in India. There are at least 70 Japanese nationals who live in Pune city.

Tomonori Sekiguchi, a Pune resident and representative director of IT placement agency WooGWay Inc said, “Abe San is my Senpai (senior), we studied in the same university. I am dumbstruck. This kind of thing has never happened in Japan. The police are investigating the suspect’s motive.”

Tomio Isogai, a freelance advisor in Indo-Japanese relations said that Abe initiated the Free and Open Indo Pacific Strategy, and was a pioneering leader who proposed and promoted the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), an informal strategic forum of four nations — United States of America, India, Australia and Japan — to promote an inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

“I feel he was the great leader in both domestic and global arena. He certainly made Indo-Japanese relation to higher level,” Isogai, a Pune resident said.

“I am still in shock especially because Japan is such a peaceful and safe country and shootings are unheard of. It’s really sad a great leader had to go this way,” said Neha Dalamal, an English teacher at the Japanese School of Mumbai. Dalamal grew up in Japan and her parents still reside there.