The funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe , who was shot dead last week during a rally in the city of Nara, took place in Tokyo , at the Buddhist temple of Zojoji.
Crowds gathered at the foot of the iconic Tokyo Tower in the center of the capital, with numerous people laying flowers in front of the smiling photo of the longest-serving prime minister in Japan's history.
After the funeral, the transfer of the coffin to the central places of Japanese politics for the last farewell.
Zojoji Temple was also where the public memorial and wake took place. About 2,500 people attended, including Abe's political allies and opponents, foreign dignitaries and business leaders.
Several commemorations are also scheduled in Yamaguchi prefecture, Abe constituency, and several other locations in Tokyo.
Guests at Monday's wake were US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen , Russian Ambassador Mikhail Galuzin , and Toyota President Akio Toyoda .
Japan's foreign ministry reported receiving over 1,700 messages of condolence , among a total of 259 countries and international institutions.
(Unioneonline / vl)