Representatives from at least 217 countries, territories and international organizations have confirmed their attendance at the state funeral for the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to be held on the 27th, the Government revealed today.
The delegations of 116 of the territories and organizations will travel to Japan from abroad, while the other 101 will send their representatives from the diplomatic headquarters currently present in the Asian country itself, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs detailed this Thursday in a statement.
Those who have confirmed their attendance at Abe’s state funeral next week include Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; the vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris; the president of the european councilCharles Michel; or the Prime Minister of Cuba, Manuel Marrero, according to the published list.
Numerous ministers and other characters will also travel to Japan for the event high profile audiences as the first lady of Colombia, Veronica Alcocer; former French President Nicolas Sarkozy; or the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach.
Japan will ask funeral attendees to wear a sanitary mask during the ceremony, government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference today.
This request comes after the stir caused in the country by the images of the emperors of japan, Naruhito and Masako, walking through London and greeting other attendees without a mask during the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II of England.
The use of the mask has never been mandatory in Japan due to the covid-19 pandemic, but it is still common to see the population with it on the street and it is urged to use it in areas such as public transport and indoors at a time when that the country is immersed in its seventh wave of infections.