Several thousand protesters have gathered as a state funeral begins for Japan’s slain former prime minister Shinzo Abe
Leaders from around the world have arrived in Tokyo to pay tribute to the country’s longest-serving PM but protesters argue the event is using precious state resources that could be directed towards more pressing needs
Abe, 67, was gunned down at an election rally in July
The alliances he forged to respond to China’s growing power came alongside big and unpopular changes to Japan’s pacifist constitution
Some 20,000 police officers have reportedly been deployed – police admitted to flaws in the protection provided to Abe in July