Nara Mayor Gen Nakagawa is searching for the best way possible to commemorate former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot in the western Japan city last month.
On Monday morning, flowers were placed at the traffic island near a train station where Abe was shot at close range during a campaign speech on July 8. Commuters also stopped and offered prayers.
“I cannot find words,” a woman in her 50s said, while a man in his 50s praised the former prime minister as a man who changed Japan, criticizing the inadequate security measures at the time of the speech.
People place flowers on Aug. 8, 2022, near the location of the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara, western Japan, one month after the incident that occurred during campaigning for an upper house election. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The assassination of one of the most powerful politicians in Japan has sent shockwaves across the country, where gun violence is extremely rare.
Nakagawa, who was standing close to Abe, argues it is important for future generations to learn from the tragedy.
“This incident will go down as a turning point in history,” Nakagawa told Kyodo News. “We want to leave behind something tangible that conveys the challenges this has presented us with.”
Nakagawa said he is considering re-examining an ongoing redevelopment project in front of Kintetsu Railway Yamato-Saidaiji Station near the site of the slaying. He plans to reach a conclusion in September.
The mayor said many city residents have expressed their desire for a monument or a spot to lay flowers so they can commemorate Japan’s longest-serving prime minister.
A woman prays on Aug. 8, 2022, near the location of the July 8 assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara, western Japan. Abe was killed while campaigning for an upper house election. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Nakagawa favors a flowerbed or an abstract artwork. Such a project should rely on donations rather than public funds as it would be easier to gain acceptance, he said.
A number of people have said they do not want any form of memorial at the scene of the crime as they do not wish to be reminded of the horrific event, according to Nakagawa.
“I’m concerned about striking the right balance so as not to divide the people over the issue,” he said.
Under the current redevelopment plan, the traffic island where the shooting occurred will be removed. If the city is to complete the ongoing project by the end of March as scheduled, it will need to decide on any changes by September, according to the city.
People walk on Aug. 8, 2022, near the location of the July 8 assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara, western Japan. Abe was killed while campaigning for an upper house election. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The assailant, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, approached Abe from behind and fired twice, first from about 7 meters away and again three seconds later from about 5 meters away, according to investigative sources.
Abe’s death was confirmed hours later as due to blood loss from gunshot wounds sustained in the attack.
Yamagami has told investigators that he harbors a grudge against the Unification Church that he believes the former prime minister had links with.
The suspect has said his mother’s huge donations to the church had ruined his family’s finances and that Abe’s grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, helped bring the group, founded in 1954 in South Korea, to Japan.
A street TV in Tokyo shows news that former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot to death in Nara on July 8, 2022. Abe, 67, was giving a stump speech for the July 10 House of Councillors election. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The court has approved prosecutors’ request to continue holding Yamagami in custody until Nov. 29 for a psychiatric evaluation.
“I feel responsible for letting it happen in the city of which I am the mayor,” Nakagawa said. “What could I have done to prevent it? I think about it every day.”
Related coverage:
Abe shooter to undergo mental competence exam before indictment
Abe attacker tried to draw attention to church: analysts
Shooter signaled Abe killing in letter to Unification Church critic
