About 26,000 People Laid Flowers To Honor Abe On Day Of State Funeral - Japanese Official

TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) Almost 26,000 people placed flowers on altars to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the day of his state funeral, Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said on Wednesday.

"Many people attended the state funeral (on Tuesday) from our country and from abroad. We tried to hold a ceremony that would address the grief and condolences of those present. I want to express gratitude to all participants. Up to 4,183 people attended the state funeral ceremony and 25,889 people came to the altars for citizens," Isozaki said at a press conference.

Abe's state funeral took place at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan Hall on Tuesday. Leaders of 34 countries and 14 former heads of state attended the funeral. Russia was represented by the presidential cultural cooperation envoy, Mikhail Shvydkoy, and Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (01:00-07:00 GMT), the altars were opened in the park near the Budokan for citizens, who wished to bring flowers and honor Abe's memory. People had to queue for about four hours to lay flowers at the altar.

Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime-minister, was in power from 2006-2007 and from 2012-2020. He was mortally wounded by shots fired by a 41-year-old man while giving a campaign speech for a colleague in the city of Nara on July 8. The politician was cremated and had a funeral at a buddhist temple on July 12.

The government's decision to hold a state funeral ceremony for Abe, the costs of which were fully covered from the state budget, was sharply criticized by opposition parties.