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Chester Wong

Hongkongers and Japanese citizens visited the country’s consulate in Hong Kong on Monday to pay their respects to Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister who was murdered last Friday.
Dozens of people dressed in black, some with flowers, attended the consulate to sign a book of condolence. One Hong Kong man, who asked to be identified only as Kenny, and his daughter were among those who left flowers. He said Abe was not only a major political figure but a great man.
“He was a great politician, as he was a tough man when dealing with other nations. Besides, he was a good person as a whole,” Kenny said.
Kenny criticised the slow reaction of Abe’s security guards after the former premier, who was 67, was shot by a lone gunman as he delivered a campaign speech outside a railway station in Nara, a city in western Japan. Abe was rushed to hospital but later pronounced dead by doctors.
Shinzo Abe to have private funeral, with separate ceremony for friends of Japan
Kenny said he was shocked by the online reaction of some internet users in mainland China.
“It’s really interesting how things unfolded. Chinese netizens started to celebrate over someone’s death – not a good sign I think,” Kenny said.
He was speaking after the consulate said people could visit and add to a book of condolence for Abe, who was the longest-serving Japanese prime minister, on Monday and Tuesday.
Abe’s photo took pride of place at the consulate on a table covered with white cloth and flanked by white flowers and Japanese flags.
People, in groups of no more than two, can visit the consulate and sign the book after passing through a strict security check by guards.
China’s Xi conveys ‘deep regret’ over sudden death of Shinzo Abe
Another Hongkonger, who gave his surname as Chiu, said that he came to pay his respects to Abe because of his ancestral link to Japan.
“Abe was a huge character in Japan. I just wanted to pay my tribute,” Chiu said.
He said that Abe had been a prominent politician.
“To be honest, he had already stepped down from his role as prime minister because of his health,” Chiu said. “For an influential person to die in this way, it’s just miserable and regretful.”
W.B. Lui, 40, said that he wanted to honour Abe because of his good experiences as a student in Japan.
“I have studied in Japan for a year and a half before and it was during Abe’s term as prime minister,” he said. “During that time, I received lots of help from friends in Japan. It is because of this linkage that I wanted to come to and pay my respects.”
Lui said he agreed with Abe’s conciliatory approach towards China-Japan relations in recent times and understood why the politician’s visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine angered China, South Korea and North Korea, all of which suffered at the hands of the Japanese during World War II. The site is seen as a symbol of Japan’s militarist past and is also where several war criminals are interred.
“He has been the prime minister for many years, and some criticised him for his visits to Yasukuni Shrine,” Lui said. “I mean, he was the prime minister. Sometimes these acts have to be done to show a certain presence.”
Lui also expressed sympathy for Japan as it dealt with the aftermath of political violence, a relatively rare event in the country.
“Japan has always been a safe place, so their sense for crisis is a bit low, that’s why such a pitiful incident would happen,” he said.

Japanese people who live and work in Hong Kong also visited the consulate.
“I do not specifically support Abe, but he worked hard for Japan, regardless how good or bad his policies were,” Emi Makihana, 30, said.
“I wanted to thank him for what he had done for Japan.”
Makihana denounced the assassination and said she was worried about the safety of her homeland.
“I could not believe it when I heard the incident, as citizens cannot use guns in Japan,” she said.
“We cannot allow any assassinations. We have to think more about the safety of famous people in Japan.”
Others who visited told the Post they were employees of Japanese companies with offices in the city.
Abe became Japan’s youngest prime minister after he was first elected head of the Liberal Democratic Party and took office in 2006.
His premiership ended the next year amid a series of political controversies and after he became ill with ulcerative colitis.
But Abe bounced back to recapture the premiership in 2012 and only stepped down in 2020 after a recurrence of the disease.


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Japan

Hong Kong residents pay tribute to ‘great, tough’ Shinzo Abe at Japanese consulate

A Japanese flag flies at half-mast at Exchange Square in Central, the home of the Japanese consulate, to honour Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister who was murdered last week. Photo: Dickson Lee

Shinzo Abe, who was 67 and a former Japanese Prime Minister, who was murdered by a lone gunman as he gave a campaign speech in Nara, a city in the west of the country, last Friday. Photo: AP

In Taiwan, Shinzo Abe’s death means loss of steadfast supporter

The Taipei 101 skyscraper offers an illuminated tribute to former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday night. Photo: EPA-EFE

Chinese nationalists celebrate Shinzo Abe shooting online, as some argue feeling happy is the normal reaction

The former Japanese prime minister was shot dead on Friday. Photo: Kyodo

A Twitter account translating comments of Chinese citizens from Weibo. Photo: Twitter

News

Hong Kong

Asia

East Asia


Hong Kong people and Japanese sign book of condolence for murdered ex-PM Shinzo Abe
Strict security as people visit city’s Japanese consulate to pay tribute and lay flowers in memory of the country’s longest-serving PM



Hong Kong people and Japanese sign book of condolence for murdered ex-PM Shinzo Abe at country’s consulate.


Diplomacy

Hong Kong residents pay tribute to ‘great, tough’ Shinzo Abe at Japanese consulate

Hong Kong people and Japanese sign book of condolence for murdered ex-PM Shinzo Abe Strict security as people visit city’s Japanese consulate to pay tribute and lay flowers in memory of the country’s longest-serving PM

Hong Kong people and Japanese sign book of condolence for murdered ex-PM Shinzo Abe

Strict security as people visit city’s Japanese consulate to pay tribute and lay flowers in memory of the country’s longest-serving PM