Abe Says “I Was Betrayed by Aso”

“I was deceived by foreign minister Taro Aso.”

Regarding Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who resigned on September 12, rumors about his resignation have created controversy about the reasons why Abe stepped down.

A report said that Abe expressed a sense of betrayal, telling his aide that, “I was deceived by former Foreign Minister Aso and Chief Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano.”

Known as one of Koizumi’s “children,” Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker Sasuki Katayama said in an interview with Asahi TV that “That was coup d’etat. Aso seemed to be helping him, but he actually stabbed Abe in the back.”

The report said that Abe’s remarks have something to do with Aso, the former foreign minister who was once a prime minister hopeful but lost his support from public.

According to Japanese media reports, on July 29, just a few days before the Japanese Councilor Election, LDP senior members, including former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, Mikio Aoki, chairman of the LDP’s caucus in the upper house, and Hidenao Nakagawa, LDP secretary general, decided to replace Abe with former cabinet minister Yasuo Fukuda, because it was quite clear that the party would lose the election.

However, Abe decided to stay in power due to Aso’s recommendation.

After the election, Aso became the secretary general of the main LDP, leading the government and ruling party revisions on August 27. In addition to that, he was known to be prepared for the election, placing his people in major posts while Abe was isolated in the cabinet with senior officials.

Abe in particular told his aide that, “I was totally disregarded during the cabinet reshuffle and Aso gave me fake information about a special law against terrorism.”

Some press outlets said that because of Aso’s act, Abe did not name Aso as his successor on September 12.

Meanwhile, Abe, who has been in a hospital for stomach problems, has already been forgotten as visitors have rarely seen him, the Mainichi Shimbun reported.

The appointment of new prime minister is scheduled for September 25.

sya@donga.com