Ms Rio Kawai, a 29-year-old who works in social media marketing, said: “I am very shocked and saddened because there are very few gun incidents in Japan.
“My heart is very painful and I do not want to believe it. I don’t want this to happen again.”
Ms Misato Yamada, who has lived in Singapore for eight years, told CNA that she was “speechless” when she saw video clips of the attack.
The 44-year-old, who is married to a Singaporean and has a three-year-old daughter, said: “I realised it was two gunshots. You know, same as Singapore, Japan is a safe country. (I thought) did it really happen in Japan?”
Although she did not agree with all of Mr Abe’s policies and political directions, Ms Yamada said she “really cannot forgive” the man who shot him.
“My first reaction is that it is very sad. After that, it’s like, why did this happen? What is the reason?”
Her mother, who is in her 70s and living in Japan, sent her messages after the attack.
“She also cannot agree with Abe-san’s political directions … But whatever the reason is, you should not kill other people. She feels very sad, and especially very sad for Japan,” she added.
“We are a safe country, we are a high-tech country … Where is the good in Japan?”
Ms Yamada said she was also scared that similar incidents might occur, after she found out the man who shot Mr Abe might have used a homemade gun.
“Maybe stupid people will try to do the same thing, and the same thing will happen, and we cannot stay a safe country anymore. What are our morals then?”