TOKYO: Last month’s state funeral for slain former Japanese Prime Minister ABE Shinzo cost 1.24 billion yen, lower than the government’s estimate of 1.66 billion yen, the government said Friday.

The funeral cost less than projected by the government as foreign guests stayed for shorter periods than expected, leading to lower spending on security and costs for receiving foreign guests.

The government reported the preliminary expense data to both chambers of the Diet, the country’s parliament.

The costs included 240 million yen in ceremony-related expenses, including the fee for the funeral venue, 480 million yen for security, 510 million yen for receiving foreign guests and 10 million yen for renting vehicles for a Self-Defense Forces honor guard.

Of the ceremony-related costs, 190 million yen was used for planning and staging the funeral, and 50 million yen mainly to rent the Nippon Budokan hall, the funeral venue.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said that accommodation fees for police officers and their overtime were lower than estimated, and that the number of vehicles used to transport guests and travel expenses for staff at Japanese diplomatic missions abroad were also lower than projected.

The state funeral for Abe, gunned down during a campaign speech in July, was held at the Tokyo hall Sept. 27 amid divided public opinions on the event.

The government said that it sent invitations to 6,175 people in Japan. The number of attendees totaled 4,170, including 734 from overseas. The total figure was revised from 4,183 announced on the day of the ceremony.

It projected the maximum number of attendees at some 6,000 and the overall costs at 1.66 billion yen.

In August, the government decided to spend some 250 million yen from its reserve funds on the state funeral. It later gave estimates of additional costs, such as 800 million yen for security and 600 million yen for receiving foreign guests.

Matsuno said that the government will compile and preserve records of why the government decided to hold the state funeral and how public opinions were about the decision.

For the work, the government will collect opinions individually from 20 to 30 experts including those on the Constitution, administrative law, political science and diplomacy, he said.

The government plans to release a report summarizing their opinions as soon as possible, he added.

JIJI Press