Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, reflects on record tenure

Shinzo Abe

TOKYO — Shinzo Abe’s tenure as prime minister reached 2,887 days on Wednesday, surpassing the time spent in office by pre-World War II leader Taro Katsura and making him the longest-serving prime minister of the constitutional era.

Abe addressed the media at the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday morning.

“I have deep appreciation of the weight of responsibility I bear. Always conscious that I’m treading on thin ice, I will put my heart and soul into working on policy issues and never forget my original intentions,” he said.

He added, “Deep reflection on my short-lived first administration and doing my best every day to stabilize politics is what has brought me step by step to today.”

When asked what policy issues he planned to address going forward, he mentioned overcoming deflation, dealing with the declining birthrate and aging population, reaching a final settlement for Japan’s postwar diplomacy, and revising the Constitution. “With the spirit of a challenger, I want to continue to take on challenges to create a new age in the Reiwa era,” he said.