Japan bids farewell to Shinzo Abe at state funeral

Today, Tuesday, Japan bid farewell to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a state funeral that began at 2 pm local time, as his widow, Aki, carried Abe's ashes to the Nippon Budokan Hall in central Tokyo, to the sound of music from a military band and the salute of the guard of honor.

Inside the hall, a large picture of Abe wrapped in black ribbon hung above a bouquet of green, white and yellow flowers, and nearby a wall of pictures showing Abe with the leaders of the Group of Seven, shaking hands with children and visiting disaster areas.

Thousands of mourners flocked to designated places near the site of the event from early morning to offer their condolences.

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