The state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was killed in an assassination attempt, began today in Tokyo with the arrival of his widow's urn with her husband's urn at the ceremony site.
Current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida welcomed Akie Abe dressed in a black kimono and carrying an urn with her husband's ashes.
Thousands of Japanese and foreign dignitaries attend the funeral in the Nippon Budokan arena.
Already in the morning, thousands of ordinary Japanese arrived at the arena in the center of the capital to lay flowers and stand briefly in front of Abe's portrait placed in a tent erected for the occasion.
Abe is the Japanese prime minister who held the position for the longest time, more than eight and a half years, from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2020. He was the most famous Japanese political figure in the country and in the world with intensive diplomatic activity and policy of budget and monetary recovery.
His murder at a campaign rally on July 8 at the age of 68 shocked Japan and the whole world.
Shinzo Abe's funeral caused, however, protests in the country. Anger over the huge cost of the funeral, which will be attended by many dignitaries from around the world, followed a negative public reaction to revelations of the ruling party's and Abe's unsavory ties to a religious group that critics say is a cult.
Today's ceremony is attended by around 4.300 dignitaries, including 700 foreign officials.
Among the foreign guests are US Vice President Kamala Harris, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian colleague Anthony Albanese, President of the European Council Charles Michel. Serbia is represented by Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.
China, with which Japan has cooled relations, sent a representative, but not a member of the government.
After the singing of the national anthem and a minute of silence, several speeches will be held.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and his wife Masako are not present due to their status as politically neutral symbols, but other members of the imperial family are in attendance.
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