Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe was given a state funeral amid controversy

 

Japan bids farewell to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with floral tributes, prayers and 19 gun salutes. His funeral was held on Tuesday in the presence of about 700 foreign dignitaries including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US Vice President Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, protestors also gathered near the venue objecting to the exorbitant cost of the funeral. Reuters news.

On July 8, Shinzo Abe was shot dead by a gunman while speaking at a political event in Nara, Japan. After that, his cremation was done in the family. A state funeral is being held today.

The funeral ceremony started at 2:00 PM local Japan time (11:00 AM Bangladesh time). At the start of the ceremony, his wife Aki Abe arrived at the funeral home with a casket containing Abe's ashes in a motorcade. As he entered the Nippon Budokan Hall, a cannon was fired 19 times.

Today, a large portrait of Abe hangs over a variety of colored flowers on the altar inside the Budokan Hall. A black ribbon is attached to the portrait. Some more pictures of him are pasted on a side wall.

A moment of silence was observed at the beginning of the ceremony in honor of Abe. After that, the leaders of the ruling party reminisced about Abe's political life.

The last time Japan held a state funeral for a late prime minister was in 1967. Shigeru Yoshida's death was followed by a state funeral. The Japanese government has allocated 1.15 million dollars for Abe's funeral. Protests have been going on in Japan for a few days against spending so much on this funeral ceremony amid the economic crisis.

Protesters also gathered in an area on the outskirts of Tokyo as the funeral took place today at the Nippon Budokan Hall. They chanted 'no state funeral'.

However, despite the protests, the funeral was attended by thousands of mourners. They started gathering near the funeral venue from morning. In such a situation, the organizers were forced to open the gates of the Nippon Budokan Hall half an hour before the scheduled time for the public to pay their respects. Within hours, around 10,000 people paid their respects in front of Abe's portrait with flowers and prayed silently.

Yoshiko Kojima, a 63-year-old woman, said, 'I know there is controversy about the show. Many people are against it. But many people lined up again to pay their respects with flowers. I think now, when the funeral actually takes place, many people will pray for him.'

It is estimated that around 4,300 people, including 48 former and current world leaders, were present at the funeral ceremony. About 20,000 policemen were deployed on the surrounding roads around the funeral arrangements. Some schools were also closed due to security concerns.