Abe's State Funeral Attended by Leaders from 49 Countries... Kishida to Engage in Condolence Diplomacy

Meeting with Prime Minister Han Deok-soo on the 28th... China's Attendance Uncertain

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Top officials from 49 countries overseas are scheduled to attend the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the 27th, according to reports by Asahi Shimbun and others on the 22nd. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to hold talks with the visiting top officials who come to Japan to offer condolences.

According to reports, more than 700 officials from 217 countries are expected to attend the state funeral to be held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on the 27th. Among them, representatives from 116 countries will visit Japan in person, and top officials from 49 countries, including 14 former leaders, will attend the state funeral. Other countries are expected to send their ambassadors to Japan or representatives of international organizations instead.

Prime Minister Kishida plans to conduct condolence diplomacy intensively at the State Guest House for three days from the 26th to the 28th, coinciding with the visits of overseas top officials. He is currently coordinating to hold a meeting and dinner with U.S. Vice President Harris on the 26th, and on the 27th, he will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Charles Michel, President of the European Council. On the 28th, he is coordinating to hold talks with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Russia will be represented by Special Presidential Envoy for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvytkoi in place of President Vladimir Putin, and talks with Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc are also under consideration. According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China has not yet announced whether it will attend the state funeral.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno emphasized at a press conference on the 21st, "We plan to conduct as many bilateral meetings as possible with major overseas dignitaries visiting Japan on the occasion of the state funeral," adding, "We will publicly convey our intention to inherit and develop the diplomatic legacy cultivated by former Prime Minister Abe."

Earlier, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed about the state funeral to approximately 280 countries and international organizations, including 195 countries that have diplomatic relations with Japan, as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong. Within Japan, up to 6,000 people, including members of the National Diet and business leaders, are expected to attend.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.