The funeral of the former Japanese prime minister was held in a private ceremony in Tokyo on Tuesday. Condolences were also left on Monday in Tokyo by, among others, the US foreign and finance ministers.
On Tuesday, Japan said goodbye to the country’s longest-serving prime minister To Shinzo Abewho was murdered at the age of 67 in the middle of his election speech last Friday in the city of Nara.
Hundreds of people dressed in black have gathered at Tokyo’s Zozo-Ji temple during Monday and Tuesday to leave flowers in memory of the prime minister who ruled between 2006-2007 and 2012-2020.
The funeral itself was a private event for Abe’s family and loved ones, where there was no access to the media.
– There was a sense of security in the country when [Abe] was responsible for things as prime minister, a 58-year-old teacher who came to pray outside the temple Keiko Noumi commented the news agency Reuters.
– I really supported him, so this is very unfortunate.
Some of those who came to the temple condemned Abe’s murder in harsh words.
– It’s despicable, 51-year-old assistant nurse Yuko Takehisa commented to the news agency AFP.
– More could have been done to prevent it, Takehisa says.
After the funeral ceremony held early in the morning Finnish time, people gathered in the streets to wave and applaud Abe’s funeral procession.
In addition to the temple, people have gathered at a temporary temple built in front of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) office, which will be kept up until Friday.
Condolences from around the world
The Japanese news agency Kyodo reports that almost 2,000 condolences have also been sent from different parts of the world due to Abe’s death.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stopped by Japan on Monday to offer his condolences to the current prime minister For Fumio Kishida returning from his trip to Southeast Asia.