PRESS CONFERENCE

No State Funeral for Shinzo Abe

Ken Takada, Joint Representative of the "Don't Wage War, Don't Destroy Article 9! Joint Action Committee
Masaki Ina, Advisor, Peace Research Institute, International Christian University
Masaki Gouro, Representative Caretaker of National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales (via zoom)

14:00-15:00 Wednesday, September 14, 2022

(The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.)

Japan's government plans to lay slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to rest on September 27. The state funeral will take place at the Budokan in front of 6,400 official guests from around the world, at a cost of about $12 million. Polls suggest most Japanese are uneasy with that decision. The liberal Mainichi newspaper claimed last week that 53% oppose the state funeral. Even media outlets that once backed Abe struggle to make the case that he is universally popular, and some appear to suggest he was widely distrusted (Nagasaki Shimbun, a regional newspaper, puts opposition to the funeral at 75%).

Even so, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week defended his government's decision to hold a state funeral, saying it is appropriate given Abe's achievements as Japan's longest-serving prime minister. To offer condolences across the nation, the government needs to hold the funeral as a "state event," Kishida said.

A group of lawyers and scholars has filed an injunction to block the event, saying it is wrong to force the public to join in collectively mourning Abe. The Japan Democratic Lawyers Association says a state funeral would in effect anoint Abe's controversial legacy with a state blessing. The speakers at the FCCJ want to explain why the funeral should be cancelled. They say there is no legal basis in Japan for a state funeral, which would therefore violate the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion and of conscience. They call the funeral a "relic" of the prewar emperor system.

Ken Takada represents an organization founded during Abe's premiership to oppose controversial security legislation giving Japan a more muscular military role. Masaki Ina is a former professor at the International Christian University. Masaki Gouro is an attorney who represents the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales, which is battling the Unification Church in court for the return of billions of yen allegedly bilked out of the church's followers. He says he is "deeply concerned" that the funeral will help promote the church and lead to more unlawful actions.

How to attend: Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding. 

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live 
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel. 

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/3e6GPCavzkpfmGNZ9
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. 

 

Professional Activities Committee