But there is perhaps a bigger goal that Mr Abe has in mind.

He wants to radically revise Japan’s post-war constitution.

This, too, is a long-held dream that started with his grandfather in the 1950s.

Mr Abe believes he is the man to complete the historic task of getting rid of the hated “peace constitution”.

Like many on the right here, Mr Abe believes that constitution was forced on Japan by America and is a humiliation.

It imposes not only pacifism, but also Western notions of human rights and civil liberties. It rejects Japan’s uniqueness in favour of “universal values”.