Last month's state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seems to have finally put on display for the world to see the complicated nature of his leadership.
Much of the reporting on the funeral by foreign media shared a common thread. While many provided a straightforward description of the massive ceremony, which was attended by more than 4,000 attendees from around the world, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the news stories also reported in detail on the thousands of protesters gathered around the event site to express their opposition to the government’s sponsorship of the memorial.
The Washington Post reported, “... the split screen of events unfolding in Tokyo on the day of his state funeral ... underscored the former conservative leader’s complicated legacy.”