The country’s longest-serving leader was fatally shot during an outdoor campaign in July in the city of Nara. Protesters have called Abe’s policies pro-war, noting his continued efforts to increase defense spending and his close ties to the controversial Unification Church, which critics call a cult. The state funeral will take place next Tuesday, but protesters are calling for it to be cancelled. Yoshiko Kamata, a part-time worker at a convenience store, said the protest was a good opportunity to send a message that Mr. Abe never stood with ordinary people. He said: “Just because he is dead, we are not going to forgive Abe.” Protests and marches against the state funeral have erupted across the country. Anger grew on Wednesday when a man in his 70s set himself on fire near the prime minister’s residence in an apparent protest at the state funeral, Japanese media reported. He was taken to the hospital conscious. Image: Demonstrations in Kyoto. Photo: Kyodo/AP About 62 percent of respondents in a recent poll by the Mainichi newspaper said they opposed holding a state funeral for Mr. Abe. Opposition to the state funeral is also linked to Mr Abe and ties between lawmakers in the party he led, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Unification Church. The suspected killer of former prime minister Tetsuya Yamagami has accused the church of impoverishing his family, police said. In social media posts before the assassination, he blamed Abe for supporting the group. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:22 Moment Shinzo Abe filmed on stage State funerals are often for emperors In Japan, state funerals were historically reserved for the emperor. The official public bill for the funeral is about ¥1.7 billion (£11 million), but experts note that hidden costs such as insurance are added to the total. The decision to do it for the former prime minister was made by the cabinet and did not go through parliamentary approval. Some legal groups questioned its legality. While Mr Abe was loved by nationalists and many on the right for his defense and pro-market policies, he was reviled by many who want to keep the country’s pacifist constitution intact. A private funeral for Mr Abe was held on July 12, and next Tuesday, around 6,000 guests are expected to gather for the state funeral. Yamagami is reportedly undergoing a psychiatric evaluation.
