Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe's State Funeral Begins, PM Modi in Attendance

PM Modi with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at the state funeral of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Tuesday, 27 September.

(Photo: PTI)

The state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is underway in Tokyo on Tuesday, 27 September.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other world leaders are attending the ceremony.

Earlier, PM Modi had met his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and held a bilateral discussion with him.

"Landed in Tokyo," Modi said on Twitter and shared visuals of him greeting officials.

PM Modi is joined by representatives from over 100 countries, including around 20 heads of State, at the funeral ceremony.

Abe was shot dead during a campaign speech on 8 July this year in the Japanese city of Nara. India had observed a day of national mourning in his honour on 9 July.

At a press conference on Monday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra had said, "The visit will be an opportunity for PM Modi to honour the memory of former PM Abe, who he considered a dear friend and a great champion of India-Japan ties."

He also said that Modi and Abe had developed a personal bond through their interactions over the years, beginning with Modi's visit to Japan in 2007 when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

"PM Abe made significant contributions to deepening India-Japan relations, turning a largely economic relationship into a broad, comprehensive, and strategic partnership, making it pivotal for the two countries' and region's security," Kwatra added.

Speaking on the bilateral meeting between Modi and Kishida, Kwatra said that it would be an opportunity for the two leaders to reaffirm their commitment to further strengthening the India-Japan special strategic and global partnership.

Hundreds Protest Against Abe's State Funeral

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters took to the streets, holding demonstrations against the state funeral of Abe.

People have been angered by the massive amount of money spent on the funeral, estimated to be around 1.7 billion yen, or $12 million.

The protests have been ongoing over the last two months, despite Kishida trying to assuage public concerns about the massive expenditure. The PM's approval ratings have also reached an all-time low since he assumed power in October last year, as per Hindustan Times.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times.)