For almost exactly a year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saw smooth sailing on diplomacy, visiting 25 countries, meeting leaders from more than 110 countries and making top-level sales campaigns overseas to boost the stagnant domestic economy while avoiding revisions to Japan¡¯s official apologies for World War II.
But he flushed his year-long effort down the drain with his surprising visit to contentious Yasukuni Shrine on Dec. 26, the first anniversary of his Cabinet¡¯s inauguration in 2012. Criticism poured in from China and South Korea as expected, but also from the United States, which issued an unprecedented statement saying Washington was ¡°disappointed¡± with Abe¡¯s visit to the war-linked shrine.
Although the globe-trotting Abe plans to visit the Middle East, Africa, Switzerland and India in January, experts say 2014 is likely going to be a daunting year for him.
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