Opinions are divided over the government's decision to hold a state funeral for slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. What's your stance?

So long as the public opinions remain divided, Abe is not qualified for a state funeral.

Why not hold a "people's" funeral, financed by crowdfunding? Abe's presumed popularity would make it successful.

If the government can send tons of money to Ukraine, why not give Abe a state funeral?

A larger number of people are against the former PM Abe's political performance, so he is not worth state funeral. He is a very snaky person, he always escaped from inconvenient situation and took no responsibility.

Since Abe took office, transparency rank, freedom of speech rank have become worse! Also, he is alleged to permit Tooits cult as religion. If only majority of people are supportive about it, it should go.

Plenty of tax money is wasted.

He was a great man, a state funeral is called for.

Timothy Farmer...

He was a great man,

Said absolutely nobody until he was shot.

a state funeral is called for.

Toshio Akagi, the poor guy who committed suicide over stress he suffered after altering documents to cover up the school land scandal to protect Abe and his wife, should get one first.

Abe was dishonest at best, corrupt at worst. Nothing for Japan to be proud of.

He is gone.... move on.

Japan's longest serving PM, who got shot while doing politics. Seems like a reason for a state funeral to me.

All the budget for Abe focused events was used up for his Cherry Blossom festival paid for by taxpayers.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13057976

LDP have a lot of money they can do at own expense.

I see no reason why my taxes have to be used for this.

exactly.

He was a great man,

Said absolutely nobody until he was shot.

a state funeral is called for.

Toshio Akagi, the poor guy who committed suicide over stress he suffered after altering documents to cover up the school land scandal to protect Abe and his wife, should get one first.

Abe was dishonest at best, corrupt at worst. Nothing for Japan to be proud of.

He is gone.... move on.

hear! hear!

No matter how bad a PM he was, or how awful his party is, he was still a former PM, and, as such, deserves a state funeral. It's really that simple.

Timothy Farmer

He was a great man

No, he wasn't.

a state funeral is called for.

Yes, it is.

No that's over the top. It will be used against people as a way to glorify the state.

Like him or hate him, Shinzo was the ex PM and a person of great significance.

He wasn't slain, he was murdered. Why not use the correct word?

And I am against a state funeral. Why should the public pay for a funeral? Give us a tax rebate, and stop wasting our money.

This is for the people of Japan to decide.

Personally my family feel under the circumstances a state funeral is appropriate.

Some voted for Abe san in office, others didn't, however most feel a state send off is fitting.

Politically this would be an opportunity for Japan to invite every global leader one could wave a stick at.

Now there's the rub.

Abe san reportedly had a soft spot for President Putin, attending the Russian winter Olympics.

Has the late Mr. Abe's family been consulted as to whether or not they would like a state funeral?

@blue

Thanks.

It was in my understanding that the State Funeral as it is created in Japan was not really appropriate for Abe, thought national homage was understandable. I did not know they already had these alternative option. I do not get why they did not just go for one of these, with perhaps some adjustment, for example. if they want it more international.

He wasn't slain, he was murdered. Why not use the correct word?

slay : kill (a person or animal) in a violent way.

There you are - he was slain.

Youre welcome.

@blue

Information appreciated.

Toshio Akagi, the poor guy who committed suicide over stress he suffered after altering documents to cover up the school land scandal to protect Abe and his wife, should get one first.

There was the couple of the elementary school who was thrown under the bus. Yamagami did not target Abe initially. A video promotional speech is hardly deserving of dearth, but this was karma. Abe caused an innocent person to take his own life.

Abe reaped what he sowed. For this, he deserves no state funeral.

He was rich. Let him pay for it himself.

In the libertarian sense, I don't want to government to pay for it, but to be honest there are so many other things in which the budget is completely wasted, and this is so minimal that to be honest I really don't care.

People who are so against this idea should be using that time being against way bigger budget wastes like the whole giving free corona money to those business who force masks on others, but for some reason the people who are screaming about this are in favor of those things, so it doesn't seem like they oppose it from the stance of not wasting government money, but they don't want to give Abe the privilege of getting that kind of recognition.

I'm not agree with the idea of holding it in a state level. He had a great leadership for decisions to the bright future of Japan. Without his strong mind and will for changing our country, our living might have been completely different in some way. However, he had had numerous scandals which have not been solved or revealed. Therefore, national funeral will not be suitable to his death.

I want it to tick off the CCP/DPRK/Russia. Let them marinate in their hate. Then all of us here in Japan just laugh in their faces.

Long live Abesan.

Like JFK an assasinated head of state deserves one.

Even if to poke the eyes of China-North Korea-Russia as Bill says.

To me it’s not whether you agree or disagree with him. That’s a personal choice. It’s that he was assassinated, so died for his job. It’s the position that this honor would celebrate and he was elected to do it.

No!

Abe wasted too much of our taxes whilst alive so,

give me a break!

Strange. The poll attached to this article suggests more people support the funeral, yet the comments against it happening are getting more positive votes.

The poll attached to this article suggests more people support the funeral, yet the comments against it happening are getting more positive votes.

If anything, it shows you how the comment section of anything, a video, an article, a poll is not really representative of the views of the majority of the people who get the content.