Of all the obstacles to success, the worst was self-inflicted: a 2014 rise in consumption tax from 5 to 8 per cent.
In theory, Abenomics involved a fiscal stimulus. In reality, this only ever happened for a brief time, in 2013.
Over the past four years, Japan has significantly tightened fiscal policy. The predictable result was to halt momentum towards higher prices.
Recently, the Abe government has realised its mistake and loosened the purse strings a little.
It should continue to do so, ignoring foolish and arbitrary fiscal targets, until inflation finally does pick up.
There have been policy failures over the past four years, but they all involved too little Abenomics, not too much.
