Japan honours Shinzo Abe with controversial state funeral

A warning to our viewers, this report contains flash photography.

Japan has bid farewell to assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a rare state funeral that divided the nation. Some 4,000 mourners – including Australian Prime Minister Antony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japan's Crown Prince Akishino, and United States Vice President Kamala Harris – attended Tuesday's ceremony for Abe, who was gunned down on July 8 while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. thousands of Japanese people queued to offer floral tributes to the slain politician. Some reported waiting for up to three hours. But the state funeral has also prompted protests in downtown Tokyo, with demonstrators criticising Abe for his legacy of divisive policies as well as the event's $11.5m bill.

Al Jazeera's Rob Mcbride reports from Tokyo.

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