Former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s state funeral tomorrow: 10 points

State funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated on July 8 in the city of Nara during a campaign speech, will take place on Tuesday.

Representatives from over 217 countries are expected to participate in the state funeral which will take place in Tokyo. Shinzo Abe’s funeral will be the second state funeral for a former Japanese prime minister since World War 2.

Here’s all you need to know about Shinzo Abe’s state funeral:

1. Police security guidelines were implemented ahead of the state funeral which include sniffer dogs at train stations and police patrols at Tokyo-area airports.

2. US Vice President Kamala Harris and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the funeral service in Tokyo.

3. Two flower offering stands will be kept on the day of the funeral for the public to pay tributes however the area where the service will be conducted will be off-limits.

4. The funeral service will last approximately one-and-a-half hours following which the national anthem of Japan will be played, observing silence for the late Prime Minister.

5. Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will deliver a commemorative speech at the funeral.

6. The royal family of Japan will also pay tributes to Shinzo Abe.

7. The ceremony will finish with the sending off of Shinzo Abe’s remains and placing of remembrance wreaths.

8. Shinzo Abe was shot on July 8 by Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, who approached the politician from behind and fired two shots from a distance of about 10 meters.

9. Shinzo Abe sustained two gunshot wounds to the front of his neck.

10. Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister, stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons. He was the Prime Minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and 2012-20.