TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan will hold a planned state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, according to new government estimates released on Tuesday, including security and reception costs.
The government approved a more modest budget 250 in late August for a 1 million yen funeral, but it was subsequently deemed unrealistic He has been criticised for the figures, which exclude huge costs for security and hosting VIPs.
About 6,000 Guests including foreign dignitaries are expected to attend in September ceremony at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Abe was shot at an election rally in July.
Japan’s longest-serving but deeply divisive Prime Minister Abe has been opposed to taxpayer-funded services, exacerbated by the revelation of his and other ruling party members’ ties to the controversial Unification Church. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s approval ratings also fell.
Local media reported that Abe’s killer told prosecutors he held a grudge against the religious group known for its mass weddings and aggressive fundraising tactics, which he believed Abe had ties to .
A Yomiuri Shimbun poll conducted earlier this month showed that respondents opposed to state funerals accounted for 56%, compared to 38% upvoted.
($1=140.38 Yen)
