Japan has honoured former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in July, with a rare state funeral in Tokyo.
While many stopped to pay their respects, the state funeral also sparked an intense public debate, as protesters gathered around parts of the city.
Catch up on Tuesday's events below.
Key events
- In his own words — Shinzo Abe on the Australia-Japan relationship
- Japanese PM: 'I feel heart-breaking grief' over death of Shinzo Abe
- Akie Abe farewells her late husband for the final time
- It's a solemn affair inside the funeral, but the scenes are markedly different outside
- Shinzo Abe's ashes have been brought inside the Budokan
- Japan is farewelling its longest-serving prime minister
- Protesters have gathered in Tokyo ahead of the state funeral
- Anthony Albanese and Australian delegation arrive in Tokyo to pay respects
- This is Japan's first state funeral since 1967
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Live updates
By Bridget Judd
Stay up to date with the latest news
With the state funeral for former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe now having come to a close, this is where we'll leave our live blog for this evening, but thanks for following along.
You can catch up on Tuesday's developments below, or download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest updates.
By Bridget Judd
WATCH: Anthony Albanese visits Japan to attend Shinzo Abe's funeral
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Japan's PM Fumio Kishida ahead of this afternoon's proceedings.
He attended the event with his predecessors Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and John Howard.
"All three Liberal PMs served while Mr Abe was the leader of Japan for two terms from 2006 to 2007 and then 2012 to 2020," the ABC's North Asia correspondent James Oaten says.
By Bridget Judd
Former Japanese PM: Shinzo Abe always said he 'wanted to make Japan better'
If you missed it a little earlier, a moment of silence was followed by a retrospective of Abe's political life and speeches by leading ruling party figures, including Yoshihide Suga, Abe's successor as prime minister.
In remarks representing Abe's friends and translated by Reuters, Suga noted that many people in their 20s and 30s had showed up to offer flowers.
"You always said you wanted to make Japan better, that you wanted young people to have hope and pride," Suga said, his voice trembling.
By Bridget Judd
This is why some people are choosing to protest the funeral
At a peaceful protest march in downtown Tokyo this afternoon, hundreds of people marched toward the funeral hall, some banging drums and many holding banners and signs stating their opposition.
“Shinzo Abe has not done a single thing for regular people,” participant Kaoru Mano said.
The government maintains that the ceremony is not meant to force anyone to honor Abe.
But the decision to give him the rare honour with imperial ties, the cost, and controversies about his and the ruling party’s ties to the ultra-conservative Unification Church have fuelled controversy about the event.
“One big problem is that there was no proper approval process,” retiree Shin Watanabe said during the demonstration.
“I’m sure there are various views. But I don’t think it’s forgivable that they will force a state funeral on us when so many of us are opposed.”
By Bridget Judd
In his own words — Shinzo Abe on the Australia-Japan relationship
Abe once described the Australia-Japan partnership as one of "true soul mates", but it wasn't the first or last time he'd speak of the friendship between the two nations.
“Speaking both for Japan and the Japanese people, I wish to state my great and whole-hearted gratitude for the spirit of tolerance and for the friendship that Australia has shown to Japan" – Shinzo Abe, in an address to the Australian Parliament on July 8, 2014
“Australia is our special strategic partner, sharing with us basic values and strategic interests such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law" – a joint press statement between Shinzo Abe and Malcolm Turnbull on January 18, 2018
By Bridget Judd
Divisions in Japan are on full display this afternoon
By Bridget Judd
Public opposition to Shinzo Abe's state funeral 'caught us by surprise', political expert says
While many stopped to pay their respects, the state funeral has also sparked an intense public debate, mainly over its huge cost and revelations about the governing party's links to the controversial Unification Church.
Protesters are continuing to gather around parts of Tokyo this afternoon.
The ABC's Sarah Dingle spoke to Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Sophia University in Tokyo, about why the state funeral has proven so controversial.
"The extent of the opposition has caught us by surprise. Initially the public opinion polls indicated a rather divided picture," he says.
"Sixty per cent of people [were] opposed to the state funeral.
"Cost is one big factor, another big factor is the way the Prime Minister decided on the state funeral without approval or debate in the parliament."
By Bridget Judd
The state funeral for Shinzo Abe is coming to a close
But don't go anywhere, because we'll be around with the latest news and analysis for a little while yet.
A military band is closing the ceremony, with the last of the foreign dignitaries having laid flowers for the late PM.
By Bridget Judd
Japanese PM: 'I feel heart-breaking grief' over death of Shinzo Abe
Earlier in the ceremony, government, parliamentary and judicial representatives, including Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, made condolence speeches.
In Kishida's eulogy, which has since been translated by AFP, he described the late Shinzo Abe as a "person of courage", listing his achievements, including efforts to strengthen Japan's diplomatic ties.
"I feel heart-breaking grief," Kishida said as he faced a photograph of Abe that was hung above a grand floral structure used to display his ashes, medals and the Japanese flag.
"You were a person who should have lived much longer,” he added.
"I had a firm belief that you were to contribute as a compass to show the future direction of Japan and the rest of the world for 10 or 20 more years."
By Bridget Judd
The depth of Australia and Japan's 'bilateral relations on display' at state funeral
That's according to Yamagami Shingo, the Ambassador of Japan to Australia.
"An unprecedented gesture to reflect extraordinary contributions to [Japan-Australia] ties," he wrote.
By Bridget Judd
Foreign dignitaries pay tribute to Shinzo Abe
US Vice President Kamala Harris and former British PM Theresa May are among those lining up to lay flowers for Abe (and with thousands in attendance at today's state funeral, you can expect this portion of the ceremony to continue for a little longer).
The names of Anthony Albanese and the Australian delegation were also called a short time ago as they made their way to the front of the room to place floral tributes.
By Bridget Judd
Akie Abe farewells her late husband for the final time
Dignitaries are continuing to make their way to the front of the room to lay floral tributes in Shinzo Abe's honour.
Akie Abe, the former PMs widow, shed a tear before farewelling her late husband for the final time and exiting the hall.
By Bridget Judd
Why isn't the emperor of Japan in attendance today?
As we've just seen from those photos from the state funeral, Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and six other imperial family members are attending the service for Shinzo Abe today.
But as the ABC's North Asia correspondent James Oaten explains, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako aren't joining them.
"It's customary for Japan's emperor to avoid funerals at home and abroad because according to the Shinto religion, death is impure," Oaten says.
"The couple did however make an exception to travel to London to farewell Queen Elizabeth II earlier this month.
"Emperor Naruhito had close ties with the Queen for nearly half a century. He studied in Britain in the 1980s. The Queen also invited Naruhito to visit her when he ascended the throne in 2019, but he never got to make the trip because of the COVID-19 pandemic."
By Bridget Judd
Flowers are being laid in honour of Shinzo Abe
The tributes are being placed on a pedestal filled with white and yellow chrysanthemum flowers and decorations at the front of the room.
Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko are among those taking part.
By Bridget Judd
There are so many mourners that organisers were forced to open the hall early
As thousands of mourners flooded to the funeral venue from early morning, organisers were forced to open the hall half an hour early.
Within hours, about 10,000 people had laid flowers and bowed in silent prayer before Abe's picture.
Koji Takamori came all the way from northern Hokkaido with his nine-year-old son.
"I wanted to thank him. He has done so much for Japan," the 46-year-old told AFP.
"The way he died was so shocking. To be honest, I also came because there has been so much opposition. It's almost like I'm here to oppose those who are opposing this (funeral)," he added.
By Bridget Judd
In pictures: With flowers and a gun salute, Japan bids farewell to Shinzo Abe
Condolence speeches are still underway inside the Budokan. We heard from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida a short time ago.
By Bridget Judd
WATCH: Anthony Albanese reflects on the leadership of Shinzo Abe
Speaking this morning ahead of the funeral, the Australian PM paid tribute to Shinzo Abe.
"The tragic circumstances of his assassination is something that reverberated around the world, and I'm here with three former prime ministers... what that says is how important the relationship between Australia and Japan is," he says.
By Bridget Judd
It's a solemn affair inside the funeral, but the scenes are markedly different outside
The ABC's North Asia correspondent James Oaten is in Tokyo for the funeral, where protests are underway.
He says Shinzo Abe held deeply conservative, nationalistic views, which divided opinion.
"Another cause of controversy were revelations made after he was assassinated about his links to a controversial South Korean church," Oaten says.
"The man who murdered him said he held a grudge against Mr Abe because he was connected to the Unification Church, which the assassin claimed bankrupted his family. The church urges Japanese followers to make large donations to make amends for their ancestral sins, including Japan's past colonisation of the Korean Peninsula.
"In the weeks after Abe's death, local media began reporting that members of Mr Abe's party, the Liberal Democratic Party, had attended events organised by the church's affiliates, paid fees or received support during election campaigns.
"Another cause of controversy is that Japan simply doesn't hold state funerals that often! Normally, past and sitting prime ministers' funerals are hosted jointly by the government and their political party."
By Bridget Judd
Condolence speeches are underway as Japan mourns its former leader
Government, parliamentary and judicial representatives, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, are making condolence speeches, followed by Akie Abe.
As we mentioned earlier, the proceedings are being broadcast in Japanese (for obvious reasons), but we'll aim to bring you those translations as soon as we can.
