Former Prime Minister Abe's "state funeral" was held from 2:13 pm, and Prime Minister Kishida delivered a memorial address.
Below is the full text.
Commemorative Address by Prime Minister Kishida
On behalf of the government, I would like to express my sincere condolences on behalf of the government on the occasion of the State Funeral of Shinzo Abe, the former Prime Minister of Japan.
On July 8, as the election campaign approached its final stage, Mr. Abe, as usual, spoke passionately in front of the audience about the path forward for this country.
And suddenly it was interrupted by violence.
Something that shouldn't have happened has happened.
Who could have foreseen that such a day would come?
Mr. Abe, you were someone who needed to be kept alive for a long time.
I was convinced that he would do his best for the next 10, no, 20 years, as a compass that showed the future of Japan and the world.
It's not just me.
Today, people from all walks of life in Japan, as well as people from countries and regions around the world, who miss you, have attended.
Everyone should be looking at you with the same thought.
But that is no longer possible.
I'm sorry.
It is the height of regret.
Twenty-nine years ago, you and I were elected for the first time in the 40th general election of members of the House of Representatives, and we plunged into the world of politics together.
As one of your classmates, I have closely watched you, who worked tirelessly to study and study not only security and diplomacy, but also economics and social security.
Above all, I can see that you were deeply concerned about the abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea, with a strong sense of resentment and an extraordinary sense of justice long before you even won a seat in the Diet. , I know.
It must have been very regrettable that the victims could not finally be brought back.
I will carry on your will and do my utmost to ensure that the abductees can return to their families, who will be waiting for them with hope.
In 2006, you became Prime Minister at the age of 52.
He was the first person born after the war.
As the standard-bearer of our generation, I now recall watching with anticipation and excitement as you then challenged one after another the fundamental issues of the nation that had been left behind after the war.
Our country, Japan, is a country with a long history and a unique culture, blessed with beautiful nature.
It still has great potential.
It takes our courage, our wisdom, and our effort to bring it out.
Let's be proud to be Japanese and talk about what we should do for Japan's future.
The message sent by the youngest post-war prime minister to the people was simple and clear.
Breaking away from the post-war regime.
He promoted the Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense, which could formulate its own budget, enacted a referendum law, and built a big bridge toward constitutional revision.
The Fundamental Law of Education was revised for the first time in about 60 years, and seeds of a new Japanese identity were planted.
Standing in the Indian parliament, you preached "the confluence of the two seas" and came up with the concept of the "Indo-Pacific" for the first time.
These are all the Ishizue that continue today.
Around that time, you were asked in the Diet, "What is it like to be a Prime Minister?"
A forged product that is hammered, hammered, and finally shaped.
That's what a prime minister is, he says.
It's a metaphor for someone who came out into the world as a steel man.
For you, there must have been nothing more painful than having to put an end to your duties as prime minister after just one year.
But we are already well aware.
At the end of 2012, by the time you assumed the office of Prime Minister once again, you had forged yourself into a stronger forging.
You, who preached the confluence of the two seas, have further deepened your thinking and developed a framework that encompasses many countries and many people, the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific."
In addition to dramatically strengthening relations with the United States and dramatically increasing the deterrence of Japan and the United States, based on long-held assertions, we have enhanced cooperation with India and Australia, creating a "quad" framework. .
Your multi-layered diplomacy has forged good relations with every part of the world.
He concluded an Economic Partnership Agreement and a Strategic Partnership Agreement with Europe, and developed a bold and frank diplomatic approach with the Asia, Eurasia, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America regions, building deep cooperative relationships one after another. He left
Overcoming the difficult process of enforcing the Peace and Security Legislation, the Special Secrecy Protection Law, etc., you have achieved this, and as a result, we have become able to maintain even greater security in our country.
It is the person who, more than anyone else in the world, has devoted himself to maintaining and promoting an open international order that respects freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, by building a reliable roof that supports the security of Japan, the region, and even the world. That person was Shinzo Abe.
As Minister for Foreign Affairs, I will be proud of the fact that I was able to join your Cabinet as an ally who lived in the same era as you, and devoted myself to the task of broadening the horizons of Japanese diplomacy.
Domestically, you encouraged young people, especially women.
Efforts were made to meet the desired birth rate by alleviating the burden of raising children.
Instead of raising the consumption tax, the decision was made to use the increased revenue to lower childcare and school fees. Because I believed that it would definitely move me forward.
You were in power the longest in our constitutional history, but history will remember you more for your achievements than for your length.
Inazo Nitobe once said, "Courage means doing righteous deeds," at the graduation ceremony of the National Defense Academy.
Courage is doing what is right.
Mr. Abe.
You were the man of courage.
You were a sincere and compassionate person, who cherished your friends, and who was a good husband who deeply loved Mrs. Akie.
And I am sure that many people in Japan and around the world will miss you, saying things like "the days of Prime Minister Abe" and "the era of Prime Minister Abe."
On top of the foundation you laid, I would like to express my pledge to build a sustainable, inclusive Japan, a region, and a world where all people can shine.
Mr. Abe, Prime Minister Abe.
Thank you for your hard work.
And thank you very much.
Please rest in peace.
September 27, 2020 Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida