Japan PM Kishida defends Abe’s state funeral amid criticism

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Thursday again defended his decision to hold a state-funded funeral for Shinzo Abe as “appropriate” given his achievements during the longest-serving term in postwar Japan.

Kishida appeared at a parliamentary session to justify holding the event, scheduled to be held on Sep.27 at an estimated cost of ¥1.6 billion.

Both the opposition and a large section of Japanese have expressed their objection to a funeral paid for by state funds.

(…)