Abe's Third Death Anniversary Tomorrow... Monument Erected at Osaka Shrine

A monument for Shinzo Abe erected at Osaka Gokoku Shrine ahead of the third anniversary of his death
Akie Abe expresses gratitude for nationwide tributes

Sankei Shimbun reported on the 7th that a monument was newly established in Osaka ahead of the third anniversary of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The photo shows his wife Akie Abe attending the event, posted on the social networking service X. Photo by Sankei Shimbun

A monument honoring former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was killed in a shooting incident on July 8, 2022, was erected at Osaka Gokoku Shrine in Osaka City ahead of the third anniversary of his death.

According to Sankei Shimbun on July 7, a commemorative monument, approximately 160 cm in height and 150 cm in width, was installed at the shrine the previous afternoon by shrine officials and others mourning the death of former Prime Minister Abe. A dedication ceremony and a memorial service were held at the site.

The monument features the inscription "Monument to the Martyrdom for Constitutional Government," handwritten by his wife Akie Abe, as well as a photograph of former Prime Minister Abe and other items.

Akie Abe posted a photo of herself attending the event on the social networking service X, along with a message expressing her gratitude for the remembrance from people across the country, saying, "As three years are about to pass, I am truly thankful for the tributes from all over."

Previously, on the first anniversary in 2023, a memorial stone approximately 1 meter in both height and width was erected at a cemetery park about 5 kilometers from the site of the shooting incident in Nara City, Nara Prefecture.

At that time, there had initially been discussions about installing the memorial stone at the actual site of the incident. However, due to concerns from local residents about the negative image associated with the shooting, the nearby cemetery park was ultimately chosen as the location for the memorial.

Former Prime Minister Abe was born in Tokyo, Japan, on September 21, 1954, and served as Japan's prime minister twice. Coming from a prominent political family, he began his political career in 1982 as secretary to his father, Shintaro Abe, who was then the foreign minister. In 2006, he succeeded former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and became the youngest prime minister in Japan since World War II.