Japan government plan for Abe state funeral sparks protests

The government failed to consider the difference between how Abe is considered overseas and inside of the country. He may be in high esteem from other goverments (not China or South Korea) but in Japan a lot of people have a big problem with him being honored using public funds.

Japan has hope.

The people aren't going to roll over and take it anymore.

Good on them.

Being the longest serving premier also made him one of the least popular premiers. A lot of his policies were huge failures that cost tax payers trillions of yen. The Abenomask fiasco, all his failed promises relating to child care and that Abenomics failure have left a very bitter taste in the mouths of people. He wasted enough money while he was in office. Tax payers don’t want more money used for his funeral.

Who’s paying them to “Protest”?

Just like in Okinawa….

@Lindsay,

You nailed it my friend.

The failures he left in his wake far outweigh the positive,if any,gains he made.

I am sure that he left far more Japanese in financial peril than when he arrived.

I am sure as time goes by even the most apathetic Japanese will start to see the light.

This is remarkable, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida government/cabinet only has itself to blame.

Abe san was tragically gunned down in the street, a dignified private funeral laid the politician to rest.

This State funeral, has now raised accusations the ruling LDP government is deliberately politicizing Abe san death for cynical party political gain. The funding of such state funeral will be at tax payer expense.

Whos to know how public opinion could deteriorate by Sept 27th?

Clearly there is a head of steam building up.

.

It’s despicable, regardless of how bad a politician was, to protest having a funeral for a public servant of decades of service.

Especially if the guy was assassinated.

If a plan sparks Protesters then it’s probably not a good idea. And not deserving.

Only 200 peoples protest out of 127 million population ! Mr Abe soul can't rest in peace if the fighting goes on.

Mizuho Fukushima, a party leader of almost disappearing Mizuho Party likes to stand in the center of demonstration. She's been all over the place for photo op. She never forget to upload her photo.

She was heavily criticized for uploading her photo at Wishma's Funeral held at Tsukiji Honganji shrine with the dead remains in her background. Since then.... What has she been doing or saying for her death??? NOTHING.

Mizuho Fukushima is the very one of the concerned parties wrt Comfort Women issue, as a lawyer at the official meetings btw so-called victims and J-govts, also one of main lawyers for the plaintiffs suing J-govts.

What the heck she is now saying about this issue, which is still heavily hanging between 2 nations? " I am not in the position to make any opinions"....

See the typical hypocrite you can never trust?

It’s despicable, regardless of how bad a politician was, to protest having a funeral for a public servant of decades of service.

After decades of lies and scandal's it is actually despicable not to protest.

Again, NOT a state funeral, a memorial service, paid for by taxpayers!

Using the word "funeral" implies something that this is not. Wording is important and these people are not protesting about a funeral, but the memorial service, being paid for by use of tax payers money!

Let the LDP pay for it out of their own pockets! Or let his supporters foot the bill privately!

State funeral is a direct translation of "koku-so" 国葬. So I guess it's to be expected that a literal translation will be used, rather than practical.

If the longest ever standing Australian Prime Minister was gunned down making a speech for the party he lived and loved, shot in the back by some lunatic vying for attention and cutting his life and legacy down in one foul swoop, then I’d want a state funeral for him too. No matter which side of the political fence he hailed from. It’s the dignified thing to do.

Make the moonies pay! And while your at it make them pay back all the extortion money they have stolen over the years and tell ASO to stop sending them well wishes!

Don't use my tax money to pay for a state funeral for him. Have his family pay for it.

Japan's longest-serving, but divisive, premier

The only reason he’s the longest-serving prime minister is the fact that he refused to resign like so many other post war PMs did. He only stepped down because of his own health problems, not because of the string of scandals he was involved in.

He was power-hungry, ineffective, and corrupt.

The Abe family are extremely wealthy and he was a very divisive and corrupt politician, maybe they should pay and certainly not the tax payer.

Why shouldn’t it be paid for from Abe’s estate? That'd be using tax payers money but at least it’s money that’s already ‘disappeared’ rather than money that is still accessible to the state.

Only 49% supported the idea of a state funeral

Meaning that a maximum of "only" 51% (less probably, due to "don't care" / abstain votes) are against it. In other words, probably more people favour it than oppose it.

Being the longest serving PM is a feat. Can't understand Nihonggo but was able to watch how he evolved as a PM in all those yrs. just seeing how he rebutted in those parliamentary sessions. It pains me him being gunned down knowing that he spent more than half of his life in public service. He could have lived a comfortable life beyond the glaring eyes of the public after stepping down. Yet he chose to do what he believed. And for this, Iam for the state funeral. And if some would say tax payers money, they could say it again. And as @redstorm says, the cost will be small compared to other items.

For Gods sake the man’s dead.

Assassinated!

Regardless of your political beliefs, moral compasses, let him Rest In Peace.

No human is perfect, and that includes youuuuu,

and all the protesters.

Show respect for the deceased…

Let LDP show respect for the deceased by not using his death as a political tool and posturing to their base. He already had his funeral. Case closed.

Regardless of your political beliefs, moral compasses, let him Rest In Peace.

No human is perfect, and that includes youuuuu,

and all the protesters.

Show respect for the deceased…

The protests and comments on here have nothing to do with the fact that he was a useless leader. They’re to do with the planned state funeral, funded by us taxpayers who don’t give a toss about him. He didn’t deserve to die the way he did, but he also doesn’t deserve a state funeral. Let his wealthy family, and the LDP, pay for it.

WOW a dead man still make controversy, Japan get on with your lives and let the man rest in peace regardless of what he did or didn't do being a politician you aren't going to make everyone happy. It is was it is, move on!!

I didn't always like his politics, but he dedicated his living to his country, and in the end, being a politician also directly related to his death. The country marking the life of a man who gave his life for his country seems apt to me. If I were Japanese, I would be putting out my support for a state funeral.

Let the Unification Church pay for it.

I say go for it, especially if the CCP and DPRK and Russia hate it.

Let Japan and the China/Nork. Ruski haters like me have their party. I will most definately drink a few suds for Abesan.

WOW a dead man still make controversy, Japan get on with your lives and let the man rest in peace regardless of what he did or didn't do being a politician you aren't going to make everyone happy. It is was it is, move on!!

We would all like to move on however the ruling party doesn't seem to want to move on do they. I think it is a lovely idea for LDP to give the man a loving sendoff I just don't think that it should be at the expense of the state.

I am sure they could easily fund raise the amount needed to show how really popular he was and the rest of the fund raising money could be donated to Abe's favorite charity the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

Yes - go have a respectful day if funeral. The Left is copying the left of other places. You will have trouble being dictated by left thinkers. Follow your decisions. Do not be disrespectful. No one is perfect not even idealistic people.

Mr. Shinzo Abe, was the longest serving Japanese PM.

Mr. Abe died for Japan. Sacrifice for Japan. Worked until exhausted and his health affected many times for Japan.

Mr. Abe was a Hero. Leader. Someone who loved Japan and it's citizens!

Mr. Abe made the biggest sacrifice you can make for Japan!

Thank you Mr. Shinzo Abe!

For your hard work, sacrifice, willingness to do what's necessary for Japan and it's people.

Well, to be fair money (or anything else) can't fix the corona virus problem.

His funeral was held soon after, but the cabinet decided on Friday that a state funeral will be held on Sept. 27 at the Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo.

He's already had a funeral then... Just the state wants to do another one.

Given the length of his service and the fact he was assassinated for crying out loud, it's really somewhat standard for the state to commemorate him with a state funeral and not a big enough issue to protest about imo.

Let the Unification Church pay for it. Clearly they are willing to accept huge donations even from the general public, so surely they might be generous in giving back.

All kidding aside, there outta be laws against religions taking large amounts of money from individuals. It’s immoral and reveals the true intentions of this organization. If they refused the mother’s donation ( perhaps gratefully accepting a smaller reasonable amount ), then Abe might still be alive.

Iam glad to see the Japanese public rising up and making their voices heard.

Abe's major objective MO was to change Japan from being a peaceful pacifist nation into a world leader.

The majority of the Japanese people ive met or know would rather continue their peaceful lifestyle and not be involved in other nations conflicts.

Japan has done an amazing job at portraying its self internationally as something it's not.

Only those that actually live here know the truth.

And why the article writers persist in calling Abe's proposed memorial a state funeral is baffling and incorrect as his remains will not be present.

A national memorial service !

That's the thing about democracy is if the public dont make their voices heard then the government just makes all the decisions.