The state funeral of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated on July 8 in the city of Nara during a campaign speech, will take place on September 27 and is expected to see thousands of attendees.
According to Japan Times, representatives from over 217 countries and international organizations are expected to participate in the state funeral which is slated to start at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at the Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo.
Abe’s funeral on September 27 will be the second state funeral for a former prime minister since World War 2.
The first one was held in 1967 for Shigeru Yoshida. Other deceased prime ministers received a joint Cabinet Office and Liberal Democratic Party service.
The state funeral ceremony will be the first major public event since new police security guidelines were implemented, including sniffer dogs at train stations and police patrols at Tokyo-area airports after Abe’s assassination on 8 July.
Several foreign dignitaries are expected to attend the funeral service in Tokyo.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and separately meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.