Thousands of people gathered in Tokyo on Tuesday for a state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in July at an election rally. The ceremony was attended by more than 4,000 guests, including up to 700 foreign guests from various countries and international organizations.
The funeral was attended by a Cuban delegation headed by Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz.
This is not the first time the Japanese president has been bid farewell, as a private funeral was held just four days after his death; But his successor, Fumio Kishida, decided to organize this public tribute despite protests from the opposition and part of the citizens. “Abe, you are someone who should have lived much longer,” Kishida said during his speech on Tuesday. He added, “As a compass for Japan and the rest of the world, you would have worked 10…no, another 20 years.”
Featuring tight security guarded by more than 20,000 people, the massive party began at 2:00 p.m. local time, though the public was allowed to lay flowers four hours earlier in a nearby park.
Among those present were leaders from countries around the world, such as the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, or the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, who gathered to pay tribute to the former head of the government of Japan. More than 4,000 guests attended the funeral, which was held at the capital’s Nippon Budokan Stadium, a venue often used for sporting or musical events.
(with information from agencies)
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