Govt. To Spend About $1.8 Mil. On Former Pm Abe's State Funeral
The Japanese government will spend about 1.8 million dollars on a state funeral for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, who was fatally shot in July.
The Cabinet approved the expenditure of about 250 million yen, or about 1.8 million dollars, from this fiscal year's reserve funds in a meeting on Friday. All expenses for the funeral will be paid from state coffers.
The government plans to invite up to around 6,000 official guests to the funeral, which will be held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on September 27.
The cost includes about 1.5 million dollars to prepare the venue for the funeral, and about 220,000 dollars in rental and other fees for the venue and buses. Personnel expenses for police officers in charge of security are not included.
The government expects attendance from many foreign dignitaries. It plans to set up altars for the public to offer flowers.
The government will speed up discussions on security procedures and anti-coronavirus measures, as well as preparations for official guests.
Public opinion has been divided on whether a state funeral should be held for Abe. The government will continue to explain its decision and the costs involved to the public.
The government will refrain from obtaining Cabinet approval to request ministries to fly flags at half-mast or observe moments of silence. It apparently aims to show that it does not expect each citizen to mourn, nor to see the state funeral as a political issue.