The murder caused shock and condemnation in Japan, a country with one of the world’s lowest gun crime rates due to its strict gun ownership laws.
Abe, 67, was shot and killed in the city of Nara on Friday. He was taken to hospital and was previously in a state of cardiac arrest, where he later died.
A 41-year-old man suspected of committing the shooting has been arrested at the scene, police said.
He remains Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, having resigned in 2020.
Boris Johnson said Mr Abe’s murder was “incredibly sad”. adding, “His global leadership in times unknown will be remembered by many.”
“Japan has lost a great prime minister who has dedicated his life to his country and worked to ensure world order,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the assassination “shocking” and “deeply disturbing” and described him as a leader with great vision.
Deputy Labor leader Angela Rayner said the news was “beyond tragic”.
Here’s everything you need to know about Japanese gun laws.
What are Japan’s gun laws?
Japan has near zero tolerance for gun ownership and has one of the lowest rates of gun violence in the world.
A post-war 1958 law on the possession of swords and firearms states: “No one shall possess a firearm or firearms or a sword or swords.”
There are 13 steps to gun ownership in Japan, the first is that prospective gun owners must join a hunting or shooting club, then they must complete a firearms course and pass a written exam, before a doctor certifies that they are mentally fit and no history of drug addiction.
The next step is to sign up for a day course on how to fire a gun and how to store it safely.
The potential gun owners are then interviewed by the police about why they want a firearm, and they perform a thorough background check, interviewing family members, their relationship with their neighbors, their employment history and their financial status.
If they pass, they can apply for a gunpowder license and get a certificate from a dealer about what kind of gun they want.
Next, they have to buy an ammunition safe and a gun safe, which are inspected by the police, who then do another background check.
One of the few exceptions to these rules are shotguns for hunting and sport, but even then, prospective owners must take classes and pass written and practical exams, as well as psychological assessments to determine their suitability to own a firearm.
The police’s background checks are exhaustive and even include questioning the relatives of the gun owners.
The 13 steps are:
1. Join a hunting or shooting club.
2. Take a firearms class and pass a written exam, which is administered up to three times a year.
3. Get a doctor’s note stating that you are mentally fit and have no history of drug abuse.
4. Apply for a fire training permit, which can take up to a month.
5. In a police interrogation, describe why you need a gun.
6. Provide an assessment of your criminal history, gun ownership, employment, involvement in organized crime groups, personal debt, and relationships with friends, family and neighbors.
7. Apply for a gunpowder permit.
8. Take a one-day training course and pass a test by fire.
9. Request a certificate from a weapons dealer with a description of the weapon you are looking for.
10. Buy a gun safe and an ammo safe that meet the safety regulations.
11. Have the police inspect your gun storage.
12. Submit an additional background rating.
13. Buy a gun.
Civil possession of pistols is prohibited. The few violations reported in the media usually involve members of the country’s yakuza crime syndicates. According to police, there were 21 arrests for firearms use in 2020, 12 of which were gang-related, Nikkei Asia reported.
There were six reported gun deaths in Japan in 2014, according to the KLPD, and the number rarely exceeds 10, in a country of 126 million inhabitants. In 2006, only two people were killed in firearms attacks.
A 2022 University of Washington report revealed that while the US had more than four gun homicides per 100,000 people in 2019, Japan had nearly zero. The US had 4.2, Australia had 0.18 and Japan 0.02, the report found.
In addition to these laws, there are also strict restrictions on the number of gun stores that can be opened, and a total of three stores can be opened in each of the country’s 47 prefectures.