A man in his 70s set himself on fire near the prime minister’s residence in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday (21st) morning, protesting the government’s state funeral for the assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which was also Abe’s birthday.
The Tokyo Fire Department said that at around 6:50 a.m. local time, a man set himself on fire near the prime minister’s residence in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, causing burns all over his body. Japanese media reported that the self-immolating man initially lost consciousness, but later regained consciousness and confessed that he poured gasoline on his body and set it on fire. The police found a letter at the scene regarding Abe’s state funeral, with the words “I strongly disagree.”
Abe was shot and killed in Nara on July 8 this year while helping members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The suspect, Toru Yamagami, confessed that he was resentful and murderous once morest Abe because of his connection with the Unification Church. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida decided to hold a state funeral for Abe next Tuesday (27th), which has drawn a lot of criticism.
