I was having a Sunday Brunch and suddenly had a hankering for wine, when the restaurant refused to serve alcohol. Apparently, the Ministry of Tourism, as the Cambodian Government pays respect for the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, instructed owners of restaurants and canteens to suspend the sale of alcohol.
News of Abe’s gruesome assassination spread like wildfire as he succumbs to his untimely demise on July 8, 2022. The 67-year old was shot dead while giving a speech at a campaign event in the Southern city of Nara. He was Japan’s longest-serving post-war prime minister and was known for his signature economic strategy dubbed as “Abenomics’.
He staunchly advocated ‘Abenomics’ policies, a comprehensive policy package to make the Japanese economy strong by reviving it while maintaining fiscal discipline. The policy also has significant impact on women empowerment in the workplace, against nepotism and unhealthy cultures. His policies were aimed to increase competition, expand trade, and raise the rate of employment in the country.
Abenomics was originally described as a three arrow approach of increasing the money supply, undertaking government spending to stimulate the economy, and undertaking economic and regulatory reforms to make Japan more competitive in the global market.
Abe who served as a prime minister for two terms from 2006 to 2007 and 2012 to 2020 was respected by many and his passing drew hundreds of mourners in the country as well foreign dignitaries. On Tuesday, a hearse carried his body through the capital where he was then cremated.
By: Joanna S. Cabredo