TOKYO: A wake for the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was held at Zojoji temple in the Shibakoen district of Tokyo’s Minato Ward on Monday evening, with his wife, Akie, serving as chief mourner.

Among those attending were Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Taro Aso, vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, as well as former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who served as chief cabinet secretary in Abe’s cabinet, and former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba, who competed with Abe for LDP leadership.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who had arrived in Japan for talks with her Japanese counterpart, also went to the wake, together with US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako sent a chamberlain to convey their condolences, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

According to attendees, a photo of a smiling Abe wearing a shirt with no tie was displayed at the venue, while a video of his wife singing accompanied by Abe on piano was played.

The wake was for close relatives of Abe but Diet members and other related people were allowed to attend the service to light incense sticks for the repose of Abe’s soul.

According to LDP officials, the funeral is set to be held on Tuesday and farewell parties are scheduled to take place in the western prefecture of Yamaguchi, where Abe’s constituency is located, and in Tokyo at a later date.

Abe was shot before noon on Friday while giving a stump speech for an LDP candidate in the now-concluded election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, in front of Yamato-Saidaiji Station in the western Japan city of Nara.

Abe was taken to a hospital but confirmed dead there later in the day.

The fatal shooting of a former prime minister during campaigning for an election was unprecedented in Japan in the post-war period. The incident also sent shockwaves overseas.

JIJI Press