Tokyo – Japan on Tuesday held a state funeral to honor its former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was assassinated in July during an election campaign.
The decision to hold the state funeral also triggered protests around the event venue set up in a park near the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, where over 700 foreign dignitaries and locals are paying tributes to the former leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, known for stabilizing the Japanese political arena.
The ceremony began at around 2.13 p.m. (0513GMT) after Abe’s cremated remains arrived at the venue and were handed over to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida by the slain premier’s widow Akie Abe.
It is the first time in 55 years that Japan is honoring any of its leaders with a state funeral. State funerals are reserved only for members of Japan’s imperial family.
Source: Somali National News Agency