Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Shinzo Abe , the country's longest-serving PM who controlled Japanese politics for decades before b...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - Shinzo Abe, the country's longest-serving PM who controlled Japanese politics for decades before being fatally shot at a campaign rally last week, was said to be leaving Japan on Tuesday.
By early morning, long lines had developed outside the Zojoji temple in central Tokyo, which served as the location of Abe's burial, with some individuals wearing black attire and others sporting casual attire and backpacks. Only relatives and close friends are permitted at the ceremony itself, which begins at 1:00 p.m. (0400 GMT).
On Monday evening, hundreds of mourners entered the temple in the sweltering summer heat to pay their respects to Abe, who passed away at the age of 67. In a country where political violence and gun crime are incredibly rare, his killing on Friday by an unemployed guy brandishing a handmade gun surprised the public.
After the funeral, the hearse carrying Abe's body will go through downtown Tokyo while Japanese flags were wrapped in black mourning ribbons.
The parade will pass through Nagatacho, the capital's political district, which includes important sites like the parliament building, which Abe first entered as a young legislator in 1993, and the office where he served as prime minister for two terms, the longer of which was from 2012 to 2020.
International leaders have paid their condolences, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a brief, impromptu detour on Monday morning to offer his respects. On a personal visit as a family friend, Taiwan vice president William Lai and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen joined the mourners.
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 buddy, "a mournful Macron stated.
He bravely and audaciously served his country.
According to Kyodo news agency, quoting investigations, the accused killer, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, who was detained at the site and later recognised by police, thought Abe had pushed a religious organisation to which his mother had given a "large donation."
The suspect's mother is a member of the Unification Church, which has a loyal following and is known for its large weddings. Whether the mother belonged to any other religious groups was unknown to Reuters.
