The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun
700 international guests set to attend Abe’s state funeral
About 700 guests from overseas are expected to attend former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s state funeral on Sept. 27 at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, according to a government o cial. More than 190 foreign delegations are expected, with around 50 led by top-level o cials. In total, about 6,000 guests are expected to attend.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the government had sent invitations to about 2,000 current and former lawmakers, about 300 local government o cials and about 30 current and former heads of the three branches of government, including presidents of both chambers of the Diet.
Matsuno said the government had not yet con rmed a nal tally for the number of international guests. “We’ll announce [the number] in a timely and appropriate manner,” he said.
IMPERIAL COUPLE NOT TO ATTEND
Based on precedent, the Emperor and Empress as well as the Emperor Emeritus and the Empress Emerita will not attend the state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sept. 27, the Imperial Household Agency announced Wednesday.
Each of them will instead send envoys to the ceremony at the Nippon Budokan
in Tokyo.
e agency said that seven Imperial family members will attend the funeral: Crown Prince Akishino, Crown Princess Kiko and their younger daughter Princess Kako; Princess Nobuko, the widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, and her elder daughter Princess Akiko; and Princess Hisako, the widow of Prince Takamado, and her elder daughter Princess Tsuguko.
FEUD IN CDPJ OVER ATTENDANCE
Constitutional Democratic Party of
Japan lawmakers have condemned fellow members who plan to attend former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s state funeral on Sept. 27.
CDPJ leader Kenta Izumi decided party executives would not be attending the funeral, but le it up to the discretion of other members as to whether or not to attend.
Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, a CDPJ lawmaker, has come under re from within his party since conrming his attendance.
“A former prime minister not attending the funeral of another former prime minister is not something that corresponds with my view of life,” Noda said in a TV program recorded Sept. 16.
“Law and justice take precedence over a view of life. Prioritizing individuals is something I can’t do,” CDPJ lawmaker Kazuhiro Haraguchi tweeted on the day, following reports on Noda’s intention to attend the funeral.
e Japanese Trade Union Confederation, which backs the CDPJ, also faced criticism a er its president, Tomoko Yoshino, said at a press conference on Sept. 15, “It’s a painful decision, but I have no choice but to attend.”
In a tweet, CDPJ lawmaker Renho said someone in Yoshino’s position should be asking the government to support workers amid surging prices as a matter of priority rather than focusing on the state funeral.
e CDPJ has stressed that the government should not force the public to o er condolences.
Izumi decided on Sept. 15 that CDPJ executives would not attend the funeral, but told its rank-and- le lawmakers the party would not force them to skip the funeral.
Other parties have criticized the intra-party strife.
A senior Liberal Democratic Party ofcial said it doesn’t make sense to pressure people into not expressing their condolences.
A senior member of Nippon Ishin no Kai said, “Lawmakers criticizing each other over how to express condolences is unseemly.” (Sept. 22)