Kishida and Suga Read Eulogies
"Abe Was a True and Passionate Person"
Protests Against State Funeral Held Across Japan
The state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was held at 2 p.m. on the 27th at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] On the 27th, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his condolences at the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, stating, "We will remember the achievements of former Prime Minister Abe."
According to the Asahi Shimbun, Prime Minister Kishida read a eulogy saying, "Many people in Japan and around the world will honor the achievements and era of Prime Minister Abe and will miss him," adding, "He was a person who consistently had sincere and passionate dedication."
Regarding former Prime Minister Abe's achievements, Prime Minister Kishida said, "I know that former Prime Minister Abe had an extraordinary sense of justice concerning the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea," and added, "Through him, I learned about Japan's economy and social security."
He also praised former Prime Minister Abe's efforts to break away from the postwar system and rearm Japan. He evaluated, "Former Prime Minister Abe built a great bridge for constitutional revision and rooted Japan's identity for the first time in 60 years."
Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also expressed his condolences toward former Prime Minister Abe in his eulogy. He recalled, "On the day of the incident, I heard the unbelievable news and hoped he was alive," and said, "I wanted to see former Prime Minister Abe with my own eyes and share the same space and air with him, and only at the last moment was I able to see his warm smile."
He expressed his sorrow, saying, "Time passes without you," and "Even though time passes mercilessly, I still cannot forgive it." Former Prime Minister Suga mentioned the time when former Prime Minister Abe hesitated to run for the LDP presidency and said that the moment Abe accepted his persuasion was one of the proudest moments of his life.
He also referred to former Prime Minister Abe's active response to the North Korean abduction issue, stating, "At that time, his conviction and dynamic words later became the model for my political activities."
The state funeral for former Prime Minister Abe was held on the same day from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Nippon Budokan in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. It was reported that about 4,300 people attended the funeral, including more than 3,600 figures from Japan's political and business circles and about 700 people from 218 countries overseas.
During the funeral, protests against the state funeral were held across Japan. In Osaka City, from 1:30 p.m., about 200 citizens marched through the city center to Umeda Station holding placards reading "Oppose the State Funeral."
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