State funeral for former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe faces growing public backlash

Aug 18, 2022 | News On Japan

Aug 18, 2022 (South China Morning Post) - Opposition is growing in Japan over the decision to hold a state funeral for the late former leader Shinzo Abe.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on July 14, 2022, that a state funeral will be held for Abe that would be funded entirely by the government. A group of around 200 demonstrators took to the streets of Tokyo on August 16 to protest against the decision to use taxpayer funds. Shinzo Abe, who is Japan's longest-serving prime minister, was shot dead on July 8 in broad daylight while campaigning ahead of upper house elections. The cabinet decided that the state funeral would be held on September 27 at the Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo.

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