To: The Honorable Donald J. Trump President of the United States of America
Dear President Trump,
I hope this letter finds you in the best of health and spirits, under the refreshing skies of May, where colorful carp streamers swim proudly in the breeze to celebrate the season in Japan.
I wish to express my heartfelt respect and admiration for your unwavering resolve and integrity, demonstrated through your consistent alignment of words and actions—“speech and deed in unity,” and “knowledge and action as one.” Your steadfast fulfillment of campaign promises, one by one, has left a powerful impression not only on your nation but across the world. I am truly moved by your leadership.
Here in Japan, during the life of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, our people also lived with vibrant dreams and clear goals. Every time I see photographs of you and Prime Minister Abe enjoying a round of golf together in good spirits, I cannot hold back my tears.
I am from the same Yamaguchi Prefecture as Prime Minister Abe. For seventeen years, I worked alongside him as Chairman of the “Rescue Association of Nara” to save the Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea.
Tragically, on July 8, 2022, Prime Minister Abe was struck down by an assassin’s bullet in front of Saidaiji Station in Nara. His passing plunged the Japanese people into deep sorrow. Together with Mrs. Akie Abe, we wept with grief. Even now, I cannot remember that day without tears.
The sudden loss of such a remarkable leader—respected worldwide—left the people of Japan in despair. In order to honor and console his noble spirit, like-minded individuals and I established a shrine called Abe Shinzō Jinzō Jinja (“Abe Spirit Shrine”), a sacred place we built with reverence in the Shinshu region, the ancestral land of the Abe clan, marked by the Kaji-no-ha crest of Suwa. There, amid groves of white birch, with a view of the Southern Alps, the shrine now stands as the “Hill of Repose” for Prime Minister Abe’s soul.
Following similar efforts in Taiwan and Turkey, we are now striving to erect a statue of Prime Minister Abe here in Japan as a tribute to his legacy. As the head priest of the shrine, I am working with all my strength to realize this project, even amid adversity. Unfortunately, under the current administration—one that leans toward China—and amid an increasingly hostile media environment, our efforts are met with indifference and even suppression.
President Trump, I respectfully ask for your moral support. Prime Minister Abe was a man of sincerity and honor. I believe you, of all people, understand his spirit better than most.
I pray for your continued good health, peace, and ever-greater accomplishments. It is my deepest hope that one day, we may welcome you in person to the Abe Shinzō Jinzō Jinja in Nagano, Japan.
With profound respect and prayers,
Sincerely yours, May 8, 2025 Reiwa 7 Kazuhiro Sato (Soshin) Chief Priest, Abe Shinzō Jinzō Jinja Japan