Japan Prepares To Bid Farewell To Shinzo Abe, Its Longest-Serving PM
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Tokyo: Japan on Tuesday prepares to say goodbye to Shinzo Abe, a polarization figure who dominated Japanese politics for decades as the longest prime minister in the country, before being shot dead in a campaign rally last week.
The long line of people dressed in black, mixed with other people in informal clothes with backpacks, formed outside the temple of Zojoji Tokyo Tengah, Abe Cemetery Site, in the morning. The 1:00 P.M. (0400 GMT) The ceremony itself is only open to family and close friends.
Hundreds of mourners have entered the temple in the summer that is steaming on Monday night to pay respect to Abe, who died at the age of 67 years. His murder on Friday by a man who was unemployed who used homemade weapons that surprised a country where the two arms and political violence were very rare.
After the funeral, the body carrying Abe’s body will continue through the center of Tokyo City, where the black mourning ribbons turn on the Japanese flag.
The procession will take the political heart of the capital of Nagatacho, including landmarks such as the Building Abe Parliament first entered as a member of the young parliament in 1993, and the office where he led the country in two duties as prime minister, increasingly from 2012 to 2020.
The tribute has flowed from international leaders, with US Secretary Antony Blinken made a short stop and was not scheduled on Monday morning to pay respect. Minister of Finance US Janet Yellen and Taiwan Vice President William Lai, during a personal visit as a family friend, also joined the mourners.
French leader Emmanuel Macron sent condolences in the recording posted on the country’s official President’s Twitter account after he visited the Japanese Embassy in Paris.
“I remember all the meetings and worked together, especially during my visit (to Japan) in 2019 … I lost a friend,” said a solemn Macron.
“He serves his country with great courage, and courage.”
The alleged killer, who was arrested at the scene and identified by the police as Tetsuya Yamagami, who was 41 years old, believed that Abe had promoted a religious group that made his mother make a “big donation”, the Kyodo news agency said, quoting investigators.
The Unification Church, known for its mass marriage and followers, said that on Monday the suspect’s mother was one of its members. Reuters cannot determine whether the mother belongs to other religious organizations.
