Japanese man burns himself to death in protest against state funeral, causing firestorm overseas

Japanese man burns himself to death in protest against state funeral, causing firestorm overseas

“Japanese man burns himself to death in protest against former PM’s state funeral” (Reuters)
［TOKYO, Sept. 21 (Reuters) – A man set himself on fire near the Japanese prime minister’s office on Wednesday in protest against the government’s decision to hold a state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated earlier this year, media reported. . .

The man was taken to the hospital and suffered burns all over his body, and a police officer who tried to put out the fire was also injured.

According to media reports, the man in his 70s was unconscious when he was first discovered, but later told police he had been deliberately doused with oil. A letter stating that he “firmly opposes” Prime Minister Abe’s state funeral was found nearby.

Police refused to confirm the incident, which occurred on Abe’s 68th birthday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press conference, “We have heard that the police found a man with burns near a government office, and we are aware that the police are investigating.

Prime Minister Abe, who resigned in 2020 citing ill health, was shot dead at an election rally on July 8. His state funeral is scheduled for September 27 and is expected to be attended by some 6,000 people from Japan and abroad.


Citation and source:.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/man-who-set-himself-fire-near-japans-pm-office-is-unconscious-tv-asahi-2022-09-21/

https://youtu.be/r-UwP6Qb0Ek



“The Guardian writes an interesting story.
The man who killed himself Wednesday is not the first person to use immolation in a protest related to Abe, a conservative who has provoked both warm praise and fierce criticism.

In 2014, two men set themselves on fire in separate incidents to protest plans to introduce a security law that critics said represented a reckless departure from postwar Japanese pacifism. One of the men died.

This is the second person to burn himself to death in protest against Abe.”
I guess they’re wondering why a state funeral?

I guess the foreign media is rather skeptical about state funerals.

I mean, if he wasn’t involved with the Unification Church, he wouldn’t have anything to defend.

BBC and Bloomberg understand the difference between a state funeral and a state funeral ceremony.
They’re smarter than the Japanese.

Even the Japanese don’t know the difference.

What’s the difference?

I’m just paraphrasing to clear up the fact that there’s no legal basis for it.

“Foreign countries are more interested in non-violent protests like this.
Japan and the Japanese are vulnerable to outside pressure, and I really think Japan is screwed.

This is no different than China from the outside.

Oh my god.
What are we going to do?

Dying for a cause is very Japanese, isn’t it?

There are famous examples overseas, like the human barbecue.

I think suicide by immolation is more common in other countries.

It’s not about logic.

What are we going to do?

It’s a little scary to protest with death.

It’s trending on weibo too.

Even overseas, people who are against it are crazy.

What do you mean by “set oneself on fire”?

Set yourself on fire.


BBC: ‘The government has not yet commented on the protests. But polls show a majority of voters are unhappy with the state funeral, and public opposition to holding it has intensified in recent months.”
Bloomberg “Abe has been widely criticized as a revisionist historian and a dictatorial leader whose security policies, heavy-handed approach, and cronyism have caused the most serious divisions in postwar Japan. More protests are expected in the coming days, including the one coming up next week.

SNS in English-speaking countries are criticizing the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) and moonies (Unification Church), but only the Japs are saying “burning yourself on fire is not a good idea.


Japs are the only ones who are predominantly like “burning oneself on fire is terrorism!” It’s so native, it’s fucking hilarious.

What’s wrong with the Japs when the whole world’s cynical netizens are eating up the topic of Christianity-based cults and their dangerous doctrines?

And Obama cancelled his state funeral.
Of course, you don’t want to have anything to do with people who are in bed with cults.

I wonder why anti-Abe people go to such lengths.

Japanese people seem to have an unusual level of enthusiasm only for Abe.

Abe’s people are more abnormal than the rest of us.

If we gave up the Northern Territories when the DPJ was in power, the netaroos would go berserk.

What’s the difference between a hunger strike and a hunger strike?

I don’t care if he burns himself to death, we’re still going to give him a state funeral.
Why are you doing this?

I don’t care.
The people who are against it are the noisy minority.

The noisy minority is 25% in favor.
It’s not a minority, it’s Public Enemy.

This is not the way to cancel a state funeral.

You’d have to get more than 100 people to go to the Prime Minister’s office or something like that.

This makes the funeral a challenge to democracy.

Because what Abe was doing is like a hole in democracy.

Isn’t the goal to oppose the funerals?

It’s not a state funeral, it’s a Kokusogi.

Overseas, the opposition’s insanity is getting a lot of flak.
The majority seems to be telling them to go easy on them.

Trudeau: “Sorry, I’ve got plans!