<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">A state funeral for assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has become a lightning rod for controversy, prompting demonstrations and even an apparent act of attempted self-immolation.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But why has the September 27 funeral become such a hot-button issue?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>How was Abe assassinated?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Abe was shot dead on July 8 by a gunman in the Nara region as he campaigned for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His suspected murderer reportedly resented the Unification Church because his mother had made hefty donations to the sect, and believed Abe was linked to the group.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A private funeral for Abe was held in Tokyo, attended by friends and family. Thousands lined the streets nearby to offer prayers and flowers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Why a state funeral?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Japan has only held one other state funeral for a former prime minister in the post-war period, that of Shigeru Yoshida in 1967.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Abe was Japan's longest-serving prime minister and the country's best-known politician, both at home and abroad.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said a state funeral will allow international leaders to offer condolences and show "Japan will not give in to violence".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The event is set for September 27 at Tokyo's storied Budokan venue, with US Vice President Kamala Harris and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese among the leaders expected to attend.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>What was the reaction?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Controversy about the decision erupted quickly, with opposition politicians arguing Kishida was overstepping his powers by approving the funeral.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"He thought the cabinet has the right to decide on what kind of events it holds," Yoshinobu Yamamoto, professor emeritus of international politics at the University of Tokyo, told AFP.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"But there is no formal system in Japan that defines state funerals. So what the opposition says is that his government has to seek parliamentary approval after debate."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Polls have shown opposition growing steadily.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">National broadcaster NHK found 38 percent of respondents were against the plan in July, but by August that figure had grown to 57 percent.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Why are people opposed?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yamamoto says the funeral has become controversial for two main reasons: "questions around Kishida's decision-making... (and) the issues around the Unification Church and its links to the LDP."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After Abe's death, the LDP revealed around half its members had links to the controversial sect, whose followers are sometimes dubbed "Moonies" after the group's founder Sun Myung Moon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kishida has vowed the party will sever all links, but the revelations and renewed scrutiny of the church have dented his government's popularity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Abe was also far from universally popular in Japan, despite his record-breaking tenure.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His nationalist views and persistent allegations he was involved in cronyism engendered deep-seated antipathy towards him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"He is seen as the nemesis" by some in Japan, said Kazuhisa Kawakami, a political psychology professor at Reitaku University.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"His state funeral is, in a way, used by his political foes as a weapon to galvanise their bases."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Does cost play a role?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The funeral will cost around 1.7 billion yen ($12 million), according to the government.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That is vastly more than the initial 250 million yen figure mooted by the government, which excluded costs for security and hosting foreign dignitaries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"That didn't give a good impression in terms of transparency, either," said Yamamoto.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kishida has acknowledged the discontent about the funeral and answered questions during a televised special session of parliament, but polls show he has done little to move the needle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, with invitations also sent out and security operations under way, "cancellation is not an option," Yamamoto added. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">bnbd24/kh</span></div>