Shinzo Abe, the country’s longest-serving premier, was remembered in Japan on Tuesday with prayers, flowers, and flags adorned with black ribbons. Abe was a divisive figure who dominated politics before being fatally shot at a campaign rally last week.
As the hearse carrying Abe, who passed away at the age of 67, left a central Tokyo temple and proceeded through the city, crowds crowded the sidewalks that were heavily police-lined.
As the hearse passed in a procession broadcast live on broadcaster NHK, people knelt in prayer and bowed deeply. Nearly a dozen helicopters were circling overhead. Others applauded, waved, or cheered.
Shinzo Abe, the country’s longest-serving premier, was remembered in Japan on Tuesday with prayers, flowers, and flags adorned with black ribbons. Abe was a divisive figure who dominated politics before being fatally shot at a campaign rally last week.
As the hearse carrying Abe, who passed away at the age of 67, left a central Tokyo temple and proceeded through the city, crowds crowded the sidewalks that were heavily police-lined.
As the hearse passed in a procession broadcast live on broadcaster NHK, people knelt in prayer and bowed deeply. Nearly a dozen helicopters were circling overhead. Others applauded, waved, or cheered.
Kishida bowed his head and wrapped a pair of Buddhist rosary beads around his clasped hands as the hearse slowly passed. Akie, Abe’s widow, bowed from the hearse’s front seat.
expressing respect
Outside the temple, long lines of people in black clothing and other casual attire with backpacks began to form as early as the morning.
Keiko Noumi, a 58-year-old teacher, was one of many who came to offer prayers and flowers to a large photograph of Abe set up inside the temple grounds showing him in a simple white shirt, laughing with his hands on his hips
When he was the prime minister in charge of the nation, she said, “There was a sense of security.” “This is very unfortunate because I really supported him,”
Others lined up in front of the headquarters of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to make offerings at a temporary shrine that will be there until Friday. Workers from the party emerge to offer the sweltering mourners cold barley tea.
International leaders have paid their respects, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stopped briefly on his way to the United States from Southeast Asia on Monday morning. On a personal visit as a family friend, Taiwan Vice President William Lai and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen joined the mourners.
According to Kyodo news agency, nearly 2,000 condolence messages came in from around the world.
“Great audacity and courage”
Following a visit to the Japanese embassy in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences in a video that was shared on the nation’s official presidential Twitter account.
“I recall all of our interactions and collaborations, particularly during my visit to Japan in 2019… I lost a good friend, “a solemn Macron said.
He bravely and audaciously served his country.
According to Kyodo news agency, citing investigators, the suspected killer, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, who was detained at the scene and later identified by police, thought Abe had promoted a religious organisation to which his mother had given a “huge donation.”
The suspect’s mother is a member of the Unification Church, which has a devoted following and is known for its large weddings. Whether the mother belonged to any other religious groups was unknown to Reuters.
Yamagami used a 40 cm (16 inch) long (16 inch) improvised weapon covered in black tape to shoot Abe twice from behind.
Hirokazu Matsuno, the chief cabinet secretary, stated at a news conference on Tuesday that the Japanese government will think about whether additional regulation of homemade firearms is necessary.
We are aware that current laws severely restrict the possession of firearms, whether they are made by hand or not,” he said.
The National Public Safety Commission’s Satoshi Ninoyu announced at a news conference on Tuesday that he had ordered the formation of a team to look into the security situation surrounding Abe’s murder.
He declared, “We take this incident very seriously.
Both Tokyo and Abe’s election district in the far southwest Yamaguchi prefecture were scheduled to host a farewell ceremony.
Japan’s mourning persisted outside on the streets of the capital.
He was my favourite prime minister, claimed Akihito Sakaki, a 58-year-old independent contractor. I arrived here to say goodbye, so.
