He went to America along with a younger brother to visit an uncle living in Los Angeles.

There he enrolled in an acting school, and upon hearing that Thomas H. Ince was looking for Japanese extras to work in his studios, he applied and was accepted in 1914.

"[2] He returned to Japan in 1925, finding work at the Nikkatsu studio, and soon made his debut as a director.

[3] Before and during World War II, Abe directed a number of nationalistic propaganda films including Moyuru ōzora (Flaming Sky) and Ano hata o ute (Fire on That Flag).

[3] His later films include the 1959 satirical comedy Season of Affairs (Uwaki no kisetsu).