Japanese bid their final goodbye to former prime minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday as a family funeral was held at a temple days after his assassination shocked the nation.
Abe, the country's longest-serving prime minister, remained influential even after stepping down two years ago for health reasons. He was gunned down Friday during a campaign speech in the western city of Nara.
About 1,000 people, including her, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and senior party leaders as well as foreign officials, attended the funeral at the temple. Aso described Abe as "the most talented politician in postwar Japan who raised Japan's international profile."The hearse travelled through Tokyo's main political district, Nagata-cho, where Abe spent more than three decades after being first elected to parliament in 1991.
That could allow Kishida to govern uninterrupted until a scheduled election in 2025. But Abe's death also opens up a period of uncertainly for his party. Experts say a power struggle within Abe's party faction is certain and could affect Kishida's grip on power.Abe's assassination has shaken Japan, one of the world's safest nations with some of the strictest gun laws.
The head of the Japanese branch of the South Korean-based church, known for its anti-communist stance and mass weddings, confirmed on Monday that the mother was a member. He said Abe was not, but may have spoken at groups affiliated with the church.
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