<figure id="attachment_266638" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-266638" style="width: 4334px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="4fdc7e01"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/09/aflo_199681115.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-266638" class="wp-caption-text">Prime Minister Kishida and his wife Akie Abe, who chaired the funeral service committee at the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe</figcaption></figure>
 The state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was killed by a bullet on July 8, was held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo&#8217;s Chiyoda Ward on September 27. The funeral was attended by 4,183 people, including dignitaries from many countries. His wife Akie served as the pallbearer, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida chaired the funeral service committee.
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 Prime Minister Kishida spoke on behalf of the family.
 Mr. Abe, you were a man who had to live for a long time yet. I would like to conclude my address of condolence by pledging to build an inclusive Japan, region, and world where all people can shine brightly and sustainably on the foundation you laid.
 He said. One of the attendees, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed what was going on &#8220;inside.
 One of the attendees, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed what was going on inside the funeral: &#8220;I think Prime Minister Kishida was sincere for a long time. I got the impression that he performed his role as chairman of the funeral committee in a safe manner. The highlight, however, was the words of Mr. Suga Yoshihide, who served as Chief Cabinet Secretary for seven years under the Abe administration.
 In his eulogy, Mr. Kan said
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 In his eulogy, Mr. Kan said, &#8220;Even amidst the daily grind of determination and decisions, you, Mr. Prime Minister, always kept a smile on your face. You were always attentive to those around you and showered them with kindness. We spent seven years and eight months together in the Prime Minister&#8217;s Office, sharing all kinds of hardships and joys. I was truly happy.
 He spoke to the image of the deceased, saying, &#8220;I was truly happy. According to a former attendee
 When he finished his speech, applause rang out spontaneously,&#8221; said one of the aforementioned attendees.
 (one of the attendees).
 On the other hand, how was it off camera?
 What about off-camera? The most conspicuous person was Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. Another attendee said
 He looked down and fiddled with his cell phone every once in a while,&#8221; said another attendee. Mr. Hayashi is famous for yawning a lot, and on this day it was obvious that he was yawning under his big mask. There was a scene where he was laughing and calling out to Sanae Takaichi next to him, but Takaichi-san passed him by.
 Mr. Takaichi was not allowed to see me,&#8221; he reveals. Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, also bowed flat when he passed by the bereaved families, but
 &#8220;In the backyard, he was talking loudly. It was very typical of Mr. Nishimura,&#8221; said an attendee.
 (A participant at the event).
 Surprisingly firm was Takashi Tachibana, representative of the NHK party. He bowed deeply to the bereaved family, did not play with his phone, and looked at the image of former Prime Minister Abe with a mysterious expression on his face from start to finish.
 Foreign Minister Hayashi&#8217;s constituency is in Yamaguchi Prefecture, the same prefecture as Abe&#8217;s, and the upcoming lower house election will reduce the number of seats by one, so the two ministers will be in close competition. Since Mr. Abe&#8217;s death, they have been in a completely adversarial relationship, and the Abe faction has been eyeing him with hostility.
 This background may be one of the reasons for his attitude at the state funeral. Mr. Nishimura is a weather vane, so it is not surprising. When Mr. Abe passed away, he immediately went to the hospital in Nara to be the first to arrive, but those around him did everything they could to stop him, fearing what he might say if they let that man be the first to arrive. Mr. Tachibana must have a connection with Akie-san. They kept in touch during the Moritomo Gakuen issue,&#8221; said a political insider.
 According to the Cabinet Office, about 23,000 people had come to the Kudanzaka Park near the venue to offer flowers as of 6:00 p.m. after the state funeral.
 Although there is controversy surrounding the achievements of former Prime Minister Abe, there is no doubt that he has left his mark on Japanese political history&#8230;.

 Photo by Representative/Reuters/Afro

 The state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took place amidst controversy. The funeral was attended by 4,183 people, including delegations from more than 210 countries, regions, and international organizations, but behind the scenes...

Abe’s State Funeral: “Did Foreign Minister Hayashi Yawn?” Behind the Scenes…

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