On Tuesday, September 27th, Japan gave a final farewell to its assassinated former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, by holding a state funeral.
on Tuesday Japan held the state funeral ceremony of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was assassinated on 8th July. People from more than 217 countries were present at the state funeral held in Tokyo.
How did the state funeral conduct?
Prior to the state funeral, police security guidelines were put into place, including sniffer dog patrols at airports near Tokyo and police presence at railway stations. On the day of the funeral, two flower offering stands were kept for the public to pay their respects to their beloved PM. About an hour and a half of the funeral service was followed by the playing of the Japanese national anthem as a moment of silence for the late prime minister. The burial of Shinzo Abe’s remains and the laying of memorial wreaths marked the ceremony’s conclusion.
Japan PM Kishida on the state funeral
The ashes, which seemed to be housed in a ceremonial box, were presented to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before the start of the state funeral. He then formally handed it over to the military officers. Then officers set the box in the middle of the altar that had been erected in the front of the room. The prime minister of Japan delivered a remembrance speech at the funeral.
Dignitaries from around the world on Abe’s state funeral
International leaders also landed in Tokyo to attend the state funeral of the late PM, Shinzo Abe. More than 700 foreign guests from 217 countries with 50 current or former state Japanese leaders had flown on the occasion. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, President of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of South Korea Han Duck-soo, Vice Presidents of the Philippines Sara Duterte-Carpio and Ma’ruf Amin, Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese, and President of the European Council, Charles Michel, are among the dignitaries.
A tribute
A tribute ceremony for the assassinated leader was held at the Nippon Budokan Hall, which screened videos of Abe that highlighted his most memorable moments. Along with numerous images of Abe with other world leaders at international summits and giving speeches to the United Nations (UN), it also featured the occasion when Abe met Prime Minister Modi. During this time, people shared their old memories related to Abe.
EX-PM Shinzo Abe’s Assassination
Former PM Shinzo Abe was assassinated on the morning of July 8 while delivering a speech in the city of Nara. Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old former Japanese Navy officer, resident of Nara City, approached Shinzo Abe from behind and fired two shots at him from a distance of about 10 meters. Late. He received two gunshot wounds on the front of his neck. He was treated in the hospital for three hours but died.
Why did the state funeral conduct after two and a half months?
After the assassination, the family cremated him on July 15, as per Buddhist tradition. According to DNA reports, as per Buddhist traditions, after cremating the body of the deceased, many people keep the remains at their homes for some time and then bury the remaining bones.
Reign of EX-PM Shinzo Abe
Having served as prime minister of Japan for the longest, Shinzo Abe retired in 2020, citing health concerns. He served as Japan’s prime minister twice, from 2006 to 2007 and 2012 to 20. After the US pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Shinzo Abe is credited with reviving the important trade agreement. Notably, Shinzo Abe is regarded as one of the driving forces behind the “Quad” strategic alliance, which unites Australia, the United States, Japan, and India.
PM Modi at the state funeral
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited Japan and attended the funeral ceremony at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. The Indian Prime Minister honored, offered flowers, and paid a final tribute to the late Japanese friend of India, Abe, with a prayer. During the visit, PM Modi met with the current Japanese PM, Fumio Kishida.
At the funeral, PM Modi was seen along with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
