A photo exhibition honoring the life of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, opened on November 19 at Tokyo Tower. Hosted by 正論 (Seiron), the monthly magazine of The Sankei Shimbun, the exhibition presents 150 photos taken by 19 photographers from the Sankei Shimbun, together with some rare personal photos.
Mr Abe was assassinated in Nara while campaigning for Upper House candidates on July 8.
Yoshihide Suga, Abe's longtime friend, Cabinet Secretary, and successor as prime minister visited the exhibition upon its opening. Impressed, he commented: "It was a wonderful photo exhibition that brought out Mr. Abe's charm. It seems like just yesterday that we did all of that work. I'm overwhelmed."
Shinzo Abe in Pictures
Among the collection are pictures of former Prime Minister Abe smiling at children in disaster-hit areas in northern Japan, chatting with world leaders, and giving speeches with the eye of a Samurai.
Also on display are rare private photos of Shinzo Abe from outings. These were taken by Koichi Hagiuda, Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who was a junior associate of the former prime minister.
First-day visitors ranged in age from their 30's to 70s, including individual visitors and many accompanying their spouses.
"It is always unfortunate to lose a good person so soon," said Watanabe, in his 70's, who identified himself only by his family name.
He added, "I'm not a close personal friend of former Prime Minister Abe. But he's a friend of a friend who was in the archery club together at Seikei University. So when I heard about this event on Toranomon News, I really wanted to go see it on the first day."
More than 200 visitors came through the exhibition on its first day, according to Takashi Arimoto, publisher of Seiron Magazine.
About the Event:
Tokyo Tower's Shinzo Abe Photo Exhibition will run until December 1.
Where: Tokyo Tower, Red Event Space
Location: Tokyo Tower in Tokyo's Minato Ward
Dates: November 19-December 1, 2022.
Hours: It is open daily from 10 am to 7 pm at the Tokyo Tower's Red Event Space, located on the first floor. Please note that the event will close at 4:00 PM on December 1.
Admission: ¥1,000 JPY ($7 USD). Junior High School students and younger: Free of charge. *student ID required.
Access: Tokyo Tower is within a few minutes walk from many public transportation venues. To find the best option for you, check here.
RELATED:
- Japan Says Goodbye to Shinzo Abe in State Funeral
- Shinzo Abe To Receive The Collar Of The Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
- Japan’s Political World Will Never Be the Same Without Shinzo Abe
Author: Shaun Fernando
(Read the article in Japanese at this link.)