Tokyo: The funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was stabbed to death by an assailant last July, is scheduled to take place next week, but controversy is raging over the amount the government will spend on it.
The Japanese government has earmarked 166 million yen for Abe’s funeral. It is reported that this is more than the cost of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain (about 130 million yen). Protests against Abe’s “luxurious culture” also took place in Japan. Yesterday, a man set himself on fire in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s office in protest of Abe’s funeral with full honors. The contract for the ceremony has been awarded to Tokyo-based event management group Murayama.
Olympics expenses are also in controversy
Criticism is also rising in the country against the Japanese government spending 13 billion dollars to organize the Tokyo Olympics. It is alleged that the budget is double than the fixed budget.