2/When Abe came to power at the end of 2012, I was skeptical. His first tenure in office, in the mid-2000s, had been market by the same mediocrity as a typical leader from Japan& #39;s long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

My expectations were quite low.

http://noahpinionblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/trust-not-in-shinzo-abe-ye-monetarists.html">https://noahpinionblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/t...
3/In addition, many people believed that Abe would be a right-wing leader -- even a fascist one. Right-wing nationalists were his power base, and his clique within the LDP. I had no reason to doubt the prevailing notion of Abe as an ultraconservative.
4/But Abe gathered a group of excellent advisors around him -- economist Koichi Hamada, Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda, cabinet minister Yoshihide Suga, and his own wife, Akie Abe.

Together they gave birth to what became known as Abenomics. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-02-14/keeping-haruhiko-kuroda-at-bank-of-japan-was-the-right-call?sref=R8NfLgwS">https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/a...
7/But the "third arrow" of Abenomics -- structural reform -- may prove to be the most important by far. It set the stage for a deep and lasting transformation of Japan& #39;s economy.
11/Corporate profits have surged in Japan, adding to government revenues and reducing deficits. The country has also developed a private equity industry that is helping family businesses consolidate after founders die without heirs. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2017-08-20/private-equity-will-do-a-lot-of-good-for-japan-inc?sref=R8NfLgwS">https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/a...
14/But Abe& #39;s most important changes were the changes he made to Japan& #39;s labor market.

These not only boosted the economy, but will alter the course of Japanese society for many years to come.

I& #39;m talking, of course, about A) gender equality, and B) immigration.
15/With subsidized government child care, paternity leave, and preferential government contracting for companies that hired women, Abe used many policy levers to get Japanese women into the workforce.

He succeeded.
16/And with a series of pro-immigration programs -- a "guest worker" program with a path to permanent residence, and a fast-track permanent residency program for skilled workers -- Abe dramatically increased immigration to Japan. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-05-22/japan-begins-experiment-of-opening-to-immigration?sref=R8NfLgwS">https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/a...
17/The number of foreign-born workers in Japan surged.
19/Increased women& #39;s employment and immigration have helped Japan& #39;s economy. But they are also changing Japan& #39;s culture in deep and unprecedented ways.
26/It& #39;s worth reflecting on how astonishing this all is. A ton of people thought Abe would be an ultraconservative, even a fascist.

Instead, he became the most liberal leader in modern Japanese history, leaving behind a Japan that is utterly changed and far more open and modern.
27/Abe didn& #39;t succeed with all of his reform initiatives. And Japan is not yet among the world& #39;s most diverse or gender-equal nations. Outdated corporate culture is eroding, but still a millstone around the country& #39;s neck.

But Abe& #39;s changes are unprecedented and stupendous.
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