Japan going to bid farewell to slain PM Shinzo Abe

Japan has taken all preparations to bid farewell to slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today (Tuesday).

Amid tight security, about 4,300 attendees will gather in Tokyo to pay their respects at a state funeral for Shinzo Abe. The state funeral will be a three-hour ceremony at the Nippon Budokan.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo are among about 700 foreign dignitaries from 218 countries, regions and international organizations planning to attend.

About 20,000 police officers will be mobilized to ensure security in the capital.

A polarising figure, who dominated modern-day politics as its longest-serving leader, was assassinated in July while campaigning for an election.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his predecessor, Yoshihide Suga, who served as chief Cabinet secretary under Abe for nearly eight years, will be offering eulogies.
It is the second time a former prime minister has been honored with a state funeral under the current Constitution, after one was held for former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida in 1967.

Traditionally, funerals for former prime ministers have been jointly held by the government and their political party, but Kishida decided to hold a state funeral for Abe to honor his legacy.

However, the decision has been criticized for a variety of reasons, such as the lack of a clear legal basis for holding a state funeral, that it could force the public to mourn Abe despite his divisive legacy, and that it will be costly compared with a funeral jointly held with the LDP.