The government’s decision to hold a state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated July 8, is a stark break from recent funerals for former leaders, which have been jointly organized and paid for by the Cabinet and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
The decision to hold a state funeral for Abe in the fall has been met with mixed reactions, with critics questioning the logic of using state coffers to fund the ceremony despite Abe's stature as the longest-serving prime minister in Japan’s history.
There are no laws or regulations that clearly stipulate who is eligible for a state funeral and how it should be conducted.