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A woman reacts outside the funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.Credit:Getty Images
“There was a sense of security when he was the prime minister in charge of the country,” she said. “I really supported him, so this is very unfortunate.”
Others queued in front of ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headquarters to make offerings at a makeshift shrine that will be in place until Friday. Party staffers come out to offer cold barley tea to mourners sweating in the sultry air.
Tributes have poured in from international officials, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken making a brief stop en route to the United States from Southeast Asia on Monday morning to pay his respects. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Taiwan Vice President William Lai, on a private visit as a family friend, also joined mourners.
Nearly 2000 condolence messages arrived from nations around the world, Kyodo news agency said.
‘Great courage, audacity’
French President Emmanuel Macron sent his condolences in footage posted on the country’s official presidential Twitter account after he visited the Japanese embassy in Paris.
The vehicle, right, carrying the body of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe leaves Zojoji temple after his funeral in Tokyo on Tuesday.Credit:AP
“I remember all our meetings and work together, especially during my visit (to Japan) in 2019 ... I’ve lost a friend,” said a solemn Macron.
“He served his country with great courage, and audacity.”
The suspected killer, arrested at the scene and identified by police as 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, believed Abe had promoted a religious group to which his mother made a “huge donation”, Kyodo news agency has said, citing investigators.
The Unification Church, known for its mass weddings and devoted following, said on Monday the suspect’s mother was one of its members. Reuters could not determine whether the mother belonged to any other religious organisations.
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Yamagami shot Abe from behind, unloading two shots from a 40-cm-long (16-inch) improvised weapon wrapped with black tape.
Chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference on Tuesday the Japanese government would consider whether there was a need to further regulate handmade guns.
“We are aware that current regulations strictly restrict firearms, whether handmade or not,” he said.
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Satoshi Ninoyu, head of the National Public Safety Commission, told a Tuesday news conference he had directed that a team be established to investigate the security situation around Abe’s assassination.
“We take this incident extremely seriously,” he was quoted by the Nikkei Shimbun as saying.
Reuters