Before fatal shooting, Japan's Abe was up close with the crowd

FILE PHOTO: Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is also leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), speaks to voters during his official campaign kick-off for the December 14 lower house election, at the Soma Haragama fishing port in Soma, Fukushima prefecture, December 2, 2014. REUTERS/Issei Kato

NARA, Japan (Reuters) -Moments before he was fatally shot from behind on Friday, Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was doing what he'd done for decades: getting up close to the crowds and stumping for a local candidate.

As is typical in Japan, where violent crime is rare and guns are scarce, security appeared to be light on Friday morning as Abe spoke at an intersection outside the Yamato-Saidaiji Station in the western city of Nara.