Luminaries gathered for Abe’s state funeral

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:17 JST, September 28, 2022

Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, with their daughter Princess Kako, sat in the front row at the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Envoys of the Emperor and Empress as well as the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita were also seated in the front row at the Nippon Budokan.

The second-row seats were for the heads of the three branches of Japan’s government: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the House of Councillors, and the chief justice of the Supreme Court — and for bereaved family members including Abe’s widow Akie and his brother Nobuo Kishi, who currently serves as a special adviser to Kishida.

Beside the bereaved family members, former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who supported Abe as chief cabinet secretary, sat with his wife as a representative of Abe’s friends.

Also in the second row of seats were former prime ministers, including Yoshiro Mori, Junichiro Koizumi and Yoshihiko Noda, as well as former heads of the lower house and the upper house.

Behind the bereaved families, there were seats for Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) leader Nobuyuki Baba and Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki.

Foreign dignitaries, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were seated mainly on the left side facing the ceremonial altar on which Abe’s portrait was displayed.

Members of the Diet and Japanese government officials were seated on the right side.