Japan: Man Sets Himself Ablaze Over Abe’s State Funeral
On Wednesday, a man set himself on fire near the prime minister's office in Tokyo, protesting against Japan's government plans to hold a state funeral for former leader Shinzo Abe later this month.
Facts
- On Wednesday, a man set himself on fire near the prime minister's office in Tokyo, protesting against Japan's government plans to hold a state funeral for former leader Shinzo Abe later this month.
- Local media reported that the man, who is in his 70s, was taken to a hospital and police are gathering evidence from security cameras and eyewitnesses. A police officer who tried to extinguish the fire was also taken to hospital due to injuries.
- The incident took place on what would've been Abe's 68th birthday, and a letter about his state funeral containing the words "I strongly oppose it" was found nearby.
- Shinzo Abe was shot dead on July 8 at a campaign rally for his political party. While his funeral is planned for Sept. 27, public opinion polls have shown dissatisfaction with the event's costs, which are projected to be more than $11M.
- Revelations of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's and Abe's connection to the Unification Church, which received extensive coverage after his assassination, have also affected the popularity of his planned state funeral.
- 6K people are expected to attend the service in memory of Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, including US Vice President Kamala Harris and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Sources: Al Jazeera, CNN, CTV, BBC News, NBC, and Guardian.
Narratives
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Asahi Shimbun. Opting for convening a state funeral – the second for a prime minister in Japan's post-war history – was a questionable decision taken by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. His rationale was that this event could help him domestically and internationally, but he failed to anticipate the emerging links between Abe and the Unification Church affecting public opinion. Now, he can't backtrack on the event and his approval ratings are plummeting.
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Japan Times. Though some older people oppose it, Abe deserves a state funeral for his achievements as Japan's prime minister. He was able to put the Japanese economy back on track with his "Abenomics", more than doubling the Nikkei stock average and tackling unemployment during his record tenure. Some problems did exist, but the positive aspects of his administration should prevail when it comes to his memorial service. Abe was one of Japan's greatest leaders.
