The upcoming state funeral for Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sparked major controversy as the current government is set to spend nearly 1.7 billion yen ($12 million), which has caused a public uproar in the form of petitions, protests, and court orders. The former PM was assassinated during a campaign speech, earlier this year, in July.
On Tuesday, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno announced the estimate of the memorial service scheduled for September 27, which includes the security and reception costs. This was following the announcement of the previous estimate of over 200 million yen, which did not include the aforementioned costs for foreign leaders and dignitaries. The announcement was also a backtrack from the government’s previous statement which indicated that the overall cost would not be revealed until after the state funeral.
While there is no clarity on the details of the service, the organizers have reportedly indicated that at least 6,000 guests are expected to attend the service to be held in Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan hall. Approximately 50 of the 190 overseas delegations are “heads of state-level”, said Matsuno. This may include leaders like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US Vice President Kamala Harris, and former US President Barack Obama.
According to Matsuno, the policing of the event will cost nearly 800 million yen. Furthermore, hosting foreign delegations will add 600 million yen to the bill. In response to a question speculating the cost of the service to be over 1.7 billion yen, the chief cabinet secretary said, “If we were to give a simplified estimate, it would be close to what you said.” This figure has been compared to the last state funeral held for former premier Shigeru Yoshida, in 1967, which cost approximately 18 million yen. In today’s time, it would be close to 70 million.
The service has threatened the incumbent Prime Minister Fumio Kishida who is facing a backlash as many in the country have argued that these funds could be allocated elsewhere given the current government’s heavy debt. However, Kishida defended his decision of holding a state funeral for Abe, at a press conference last week, saying that the service would “show our determination not to bend to violence and to firmly uphold democracy.”
The public opposition has also intensified over the alleged ties between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) MPs and the controversial South Korean-based Unification Church known for mass weddings, aggressive fundraising practices, and problematic recruiting.
On July 8, Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving prime minister of Japan was assassinated and his suspected killer Tetsuya Yamagami told prosecutors that he held a grudge against the church, which led him to seek revenge against its senior members. However, he instead killed Abe, whom he had seen in several videos released by the organization.
Yamagami claimed that his mother was a member of the church and donated all the family’s money and savings which in turn led him and his siblings to endure extreme poverty. Notably, last year, the former PM appeared in a video reportedly congratulating a group, which is said to be affiliated with the church, praising their commitment to upholding traditional family values.
In light of the scandal, Kishida addressed last week the public acknowledging that the Unification Church controversy has caused the public confidence in politics to dwindle, and said that he would demand that his party members sever ties with the organization. Meanwhile, members of his cabinet have reportedly agreed to review and cut ties with the organization. Kishida also issued an apology following media reports which exposed the extensive ties between the LDP and the church, saying, “As president of the LDP, I honestly express my apology.”
A recent poll by a Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun indicated that at least 56% of the respondents opposed the state funeral, while 38% were in support. Additionally, last month at least four protests were held against the service, one of which was outside the parliament, which according to local media saw the participation of approximately 4,000 people. On the other hand, this month civic groups also presented online petitions, signed by 280,000 people, calling for the memorial service to be canceled, according to NHK.
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