By John Ikani
Japan will spend about ¥1.65 billion ($12 million) on the state funeral planned for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, according to the government’s new estimate today that includes security and reception costs.
Abe was shot dead during an election rally in July, and the government expects dozens of current and former heads of state to pay condolences at the September 27 service to be held at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan hall.
Security is expected to cost around 800 million yen, with another 600 million to be spent on hosting and 250 million for the ceremony, top government spokesman Hirozaku Matsuno said Tuesday.
The government in late August approved a more modest budget of 250 million yen for the funeral but then faced criticism for what was deemed an unrealistic figure that excluded hefty outlays for the security and hosting of VIPs.
Meanwhile, civic groups and opposition politicians in Japan have been expressing concern over using taxpayers’ money for the cost of the state funeral for Abe.
Jun Azumi, one of the leaders from the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, criticised the government and said that the total amount of costs for Abe’s state funeral has “swelled” by more than six times the originally stated figure.
State funerals for former politicians are rare in Japan, and a weekend poll published Monday by the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper found that 56 percent of voters oppose the event, against 38 percent in favour.
But Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said the domestic and international accomplishments of Abe, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, make a state ceremony appropriate.
