NARA, Japan (Reuters) – The body of Shinzo Abe arrived at his home in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday the day after the former prime minister was killed by a sniper in a rare act of violence that shocked everyone. country.
Many Japanese have traveled to the city of Nara where their former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, was shot dead on Friday as he delivered a campaign speech for the senatorial elections on Sunday.
In Nara, some 450 km southwest of Tokyo, a stream of people lined up to lay flowers in front of a table on which had been placed a photo of the former prime minister.
“I’m so shocked that this kind of thing is happening in Nara,” said Natsumi Niwa, a 50-year-old housewife who came with her 10-year-old son.
A vigil will be held on Monday and the funeral, which will be attended by relatives of the former leader, is scheduled for Tuesday.
The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, arrested immediately after the attack, told police he believed Shinzo Abe was linked to a religious group which he accuses of ruining his mother and breaking up his family, media reports citing sources police sources.
The campaign for the senatorial elections resumed on Saturday. The ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was Shinzo Abe’s right-hand man, is expected to win the election.
(Satoshi Sugiyama and Tim Kelly Nara report, with Sam Nussey and Chang-Ran Kim Tokyo; French version Camille Raynaud and Laetitia Volga)