Abe's state funeral to cost gov't 250 million yen: sources

The controversial state funeral for slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe next month is going to cost the Japanese government around 250 million yen ($1.8 million), government sources said Thursday.The amount, to be approved by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet as early as Friday, is expected to include costs for renting the venue, the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo, and COVID-19 precautions, according to the sources.The price tag, which does not include the costs of security around the venue by police for the Sept. 27 event, will be fully drawn from reserve funds of the government's fi…READ FULL ARTICLE