After the service, a hearse carrying the body of the former temple leader traveled to the Kirigaya cemetery for cremation, passing key buildings including the Prime Minister’s Office and the Parliament Building.
Huge crowds lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the hearse. Many waved and raised their arms as the vehicle passed, while others bowed their heads respectfully.
Akie Abe sat in the front of the hearse and bowed to the crowd as they paid their respects. She carried an ancestral tablet, a symbol of the transition to the afterlife.
The brutal nature of Abe’s death has staggered millions in Japan, a country with one of the lowest gun violence rates in the world.
Abe was “the national face of Japan,” Nancy Snow, a former Abe Fellow and Fulbright Scholar in Japan, told DailyExpertNews.
“When I heard of his fatal injury and subsequent death, my heart sank,” she said. “For someone in international relations, even though I can be critical of some of his policies, you have to appreciate so much of what he did to get Japan back on the world stage.”
“For me, he was the most respected politician in Japan. I want to say goodbye and today I was off work. He has had a big impact on my life,” Aoki said.
“I don’t think his death will be in vain. People all over the world will feel the impact of what he accomplished in his life.”