Shinzo Abe: Japanese mourners pay last respects to ex-PM at funeral

Thousands of mourners are appearing to pay their final respects to former Japanese prime ressortchef (umgangssprachlich) Shinzo Abe upon Tuesday.

The private memorial, which is only open to friends and close up family, is underway at Tokyo’s Zojoji temple.

Adopting the funeral, the hearse bearing Abe’s body will proceed through downtown Tokyo.

The 67-year-old was shot last Friday while providing a campaign conversation in Nara within southern Japan.

In the Zojoji temple, Buddhist rites are being carried out. Outside and throughout Tokyo, flags are usually flying at fifty percent mast.

A funeral procession upon Tuesday afternoon can pass by landmarks like the parliament building, which Abe first moved into as a lawmaker in 1993, and the office from which he led the nation as leading minister.

Abe was Japan’s longest serving post-war prime minister and one of its most influential politicians.

Law enforcement said the gunman targeted him because of grievances he had having a religious group which he believed Abe was a part of.

The particular attack sent shockwaves through a nation where incidences of weapon violence are extremely rare.

A vigil held on Monday night drew hundreds of dignitaries as well as thousands of common Japanese citizens who else came to lay blooms.

“I came here to offer bouquets because I think he or she gave the Japanese some thing to be proud about, ” said Emi Osa, a vigil attendee.

Abe was delivering a campaign presentation in support of a candidate regarding Japan’s upper home election when he was shot two times.

Footage of the attack showed the particular gunman, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, using a makeshift weapon made of steel and wood and held together simply by duct tape.

Abe suffered 2 bullet wounds to his neck and damage to his cardiovascular during the attack. He was said to be conscious and responsive in the minutes after the strike, but doctors stated no vital signals were detected by the time he was moved for treatment.

Police are still investigating what the gunman’s motives had been and whether this individual acted alone.

The shooting remaining Japan, a country unaccustomed to gun crimes and political violence, profoundly shaken. On average, there are fewer than 10 gun-related fatalities in Japan each year.

Guns are extremely difficult to acquire, and obligatory training, extensive background checks and psychological assessment are required before permits are granted.

His death drew an outpouring of shock from notable world leaders, along with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemning the shooting as a “despicable attack”.

US President Joe Biden called Prime Minister Kishida to express their “outrage, sadness plus deep condolences”, before adding the assassination was “a disaster for Japan as well as for all who understood him [Abe]”.