The funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered by current Premier Fumio Kishida has mutated into a stormy political controversy. Image: Screengrab / Al Jazeera
TOKYO - Japan’s political establishment was shaken to the core Friday by a fatal shooting attack on former prime minister Shinzo Abe, the nation’s longest-serving leader. Gun assaults are exceedingly rare in Japan, which has some of the strictest firearm laws among leading economies. Comparatively low-key security, long a feature of Japanese politics, has been a source of pride. The shooting death of one of the nation’s most prominent political figures is sure to change domestic security norms – and perhaps toss an element of uncertainty into Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
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