Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been laid to rest today, Tuesday, July 12, 2022.
A hearse carrying Abe’s body passed several landmarks before arriving at the Kirigaya funeral hall in Tokyo’s Shinagawa ward.
The private funeral which was held at the Zojoji temple was open to only friends and close family.
Flags are flying half-mast across Tokyo, and a long line of mourners stretching two blocks outside the temple, many of them carrying flower bouquets.
As the motorcade passed, some stood with their heads bowed in prayer, others in tears, and others shouted “Thank you Abe” or “Goodbye Abe.”
Many mourners told the press that Abe gave them a sense of safety and security; one woman said that she felt the Abe-led government handled the crisis effectively in the early days of Covid.
The hearse drove past Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headquarters on its way to the prime minister’s residence, where Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other lawmakers greeted the motorcade.
Last Friday, Shinzo Abe was shot dead while delivering a campaign speech in Nara, southern Japan.
During the attack, Abe was shot twice in the neck and had his heart damaged. He was said to be conscious and responsive in the moments following the attack, but no vital signs were found by the time he was transferred for treatment.
Footage from the attack showed the gunman, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, wielding a duct-taped-together weapon made of metal and wood.
Police are still investigating what the gunman’s motives were and whether he acted alone.
The attack sent shockwaves through a nation where incidences of gun violence are extremely rare.
Abe was Japan’s longest-serving post-war prime minister and one of its most influential politicians.