Tokyo (Japan): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attended the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and paid floral tributes to his holy remains at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo. More than 700 foreign guests, including about 50 current or former state leaders from around the world, flew in for the event.
Late PM Shinzo Abe's funeral began with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida receiving a ceremonial box containing ashes of Abe and then formally handing it over to military officers. The remains were thereafter placed at the center of the altar set up at the front of the room in the Nippon Budokan Hall.
Videos of Abe featuring his key moments were also played as a part of a tribute to the assassinated leader. It also included the time when Abe met Prime Minister Modi among many pictures of Abe with other world leaders at global summits and addressing the United Nations. The video tribute focused on Abe's standing as a world leader and his concerted efforts to maintain good relationships with foreign countries.
Dignitaries who graced the event include US Vice President Kamala Harris, Singapore's PM Lee Hsien Loong, Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, Indonesia Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, and European Council President Charles Michel.
Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, PM Modi announced his arrival in Tokyo. "Landed in Tokyo," he tweeted, along with photos of him while deplaning. He also posted a similar tweet in Japanese. Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted, "PM @narendramodi arrives in Tokyo. Will participate in the State Funeral of former PM Shinzo Abe later today. Will also hold a bilateral meeting with PM @kishida230, reaffirming commitment to further strengthening of India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership."
As informed by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra during a press conference on Monday, PM Modi, after attending the state funeral ceremony at Budokan, will attend a greeting occasion at Akasaka Palace, besides meeting Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Abe's wife Akie. "The visit will be an opportunity for PM Modi to honor the memory of former PM Abe, who he considered a dear friend and a great champion of India-Japan ties," he said.
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Kwatra further highlighted that Modi and Abe developed a personal bond through their meetings and interactions spanning over a decade, beginning with Modi's visit to Japan in 2007 as the chief minister of Gujarat. "PM Abe made significant contributions to deepening India-Japan relations, turning a largely economic relationship into a broad, comprehensive, and strategic partnership, making it pivotal for the two countries' and region's security," Kwatra said. The foreign secretary also underlined that Abe's contribution to India-Japan relations was recognized when India conferred on him the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award in 2021.
"The bilateral meeting between PM Modi and PM Kishida during the upcoming visit will be an opportunity for the two leaders to reaffirm their commitment to further strengthening of India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership," he said. Kishida visited India for the annual summit in March while Modi visited Japan for the Quad Leaders' Summit in May. "These meetings underscored the two leaders' commitment towards deepening India-Japan ties, particularly in the context of shaping a post-pandemic regional and global order," Kwatra said.
Abe was shot dead while making a campaign speech on July 8 in the southern Japanese city of Nara, while India had observed one-day national mourning on July 9 as a mark of respect for him. The former prime minister reshaped Japan's foreign policy, including setting out a bold vision for a quantum leap in ties with India. In the "Confluence of Two Seas" speech, Abe told Indian lawmakers that the India-Japan relationship is blessed with the largest potential for the development of bilateral relationships anywhere in the world.
