Shinzo Abe, state funeral and street protests

Former Japanese Prime Minister was killed on July 8, thousands at the funeral ceremony. But on the street, the cost of the funeral is disputed: the estimate is 1.67 million yen, which equates to about $11.4 million.

state funeral for Shinzo AbeThe former Japanese prime minister was murdered on July 8. Thousands of people attended the funeral, and more than 700 foreign guests arrived for the event, including about 50 current or former state leaders. The presence of the security forces is enormous, with more than a thousand soldiers who will perform ceremonial missions. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida received the ashes from the ceremonial box and handed it to military officers who placed it in the center of the hall.

However, abroad, there is no shortage of protests, as about 60 percent of the population say they are against the state funeral. Dozens of protesters gathered in the areas around Budokan Square to express their dissatisfaction with the event. In particular, they question the cost of the funeral, which is estimated at 1.67 million yen, equivalent to about 11.4 million dollars, which according to the protesters could be directed towards more pressing economic issues.

Leaders from abroad include US Vice President Kamala Harris, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duc Soo and Philippine Vice President Sarah. Duterte Carpio, Vice President of Indonesia Maarouf Amin and President of the European Council Charles Michel.