"Japanese Government and LDP Lead 'Abe Funeral' Considered for This Fall"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] According to reports from Jiji Press and others on the 13th, the Japanese government and the Liberal Democratic Party are considering holding a large-scale funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was fatally attacked during a campaign for the House of Councillors election, this fall.

According to the reports, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference the day before that regarding the funeral preparations for former Prime Minister Abe, "At this point, nothing has been decided. We will review based on past cases and the wishes of the bereaved family." Jiji Press reported that a Liberal Democratic Party official expressed a desire to hold the funeral "this fall."

The current expectation is that the funeral will be a joint government-LDP funeral, following precedent.

However, Jiji Press also reported that some within the LDP argue that considering Abe was the longest-serving prime minister in history, the funeral should be a state funeral. A state funeral involves a large budget. The only case of a state funeral held for a former prime minister after death in Japan since World War II was for Shigeru Yoshida (1878?1967), who signed the San Francisco Peace Treaty (1952).

The right-leaning Sankei Shimbun also reported, "Considering past cases, the possibility of a state funeral is low," adding, "Recently, joint government-LDP funerals have been the mainstream, and it is highly likely that former Prime Minister Abe’s funeral will follow this format."

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