Kishida To Ask Experts To Review State Funeral For Former Prime Minister Abe
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says he will listen to a wide range of experts in reviewing his government's handling of the state funeral of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.
Kishida told reporters on Thursday that the funeral two days before provided a solemn yet heartfelt occasion for bidding farewell to the former prime minister.
He pointed out that more than 25,000 members of the public formed long lines to leave floral tributes for Abe outside the venue.
Kishida added that while the funeral was held without incident, he takes seriously the various opinions and criticism from members of the public on the event.
Kishida said it is important to keep records regarding the funeral so they can be used in future debates. He reaffirmed that he will review the government's handling of the event.
Kishida said that as a first step, the government will listen to a wide range of experts, sort out issues and opinions regarding the funeral, and work to present them to the public as soon as possible.
He said that based on this process, the government will consider the scale and financial cost of future state funerals to have them backed by broad public support.
He added that he will release the preliminary figure for the cost of Abe's state funeral quickly, to be followed by a final figure.