Japanese man ‘sets himself on fire’ to protest Shinzo Abe’s state funeral
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Wednesday, “I heard that the police had a man burned near the cabinet office before 7 a.m. this morning, and I know that the police are investigating.” has been.”
Police are now gathering evidence from security cameras and eyewitnesses, TV Asahi said, adding that an officer trying to put out the fire was injured and taken to hospital.
The Japanese government has announced it will hold Abe’s state funeral on September 27, an event expected to cost around $12 million due to heavy security and reception fees to host foreign dignitaries.
Opposition to this move is growing. Some protesters resent what they see as a lavish use of public funds for the event, while others point to Abe’s sometimes divisive politics.
State funerals in Japan are usually reserved for members of the royal family, although the honor was also given to former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida in 1967.
Despite his victory at the ballot box, Abe was no stranger to controversy. He was embroiled in several scandals during his career, and his visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which bears the names of convicted war criminals and is regarded by China, North Korea, and South Korea as a symbol of Japan’s imperial military past, caused controversy. are