Mourners gather for Shinzo Abe’s funeral

Hundreds of people, many dressed in dark suits, filled the sidewalks outside Zojoji temple in Tokyo. Mourners shouted “Abe san!” calling him honorable, as the hearse drove by. About 1,000 people, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, attended the funeral. Finance Minister Taro Aso, Abe’s longtime mentor, described the country’s longest-serving prime minister as “the most talented politician in postwar Japan.”

Why was Abe killed? Police say the suspect for his murder, Tetsuya Yamagami, cited a rumored link between the former prime minister and an “organization.” Media reports say that organization is the Unification Church, and that Yamagami killed Abe because his mother’s donations to the church bankrupted his family. The Unification Church has confirmed that Yamagami’s mother was a member, but Abe was not. It did say that he may have spoken at some of their events.

Dig deeper: Read William Inboden’s report in WORLD Opinions about the death of Shinzo Abe and how he influenced U.S. policy in the region.