A man set himself on fire early Wednesday outside the Japanese prime minister’s office in Tokyo in what appears to be a protest against the state funeral planned next week, Japanese media has reported. Believed to be in his 70s, the individual was found conscious and taken to the hospital with burns on his entire body.
The prime minister’s office, the cabinet, and the police all declined to comment on the reports, but according to Kyodo, a letter was found at the scene that said: “Personally, I am absolutely against” Abe’s funeral.
The recent act of self-immolation highlights the increasing opposition among the Japanese public towards the state funeral for Shinzo Abe, which is slated to take place in Tokyo on Sept. 27.
Support for the funeral, which will be paid for entirely by the state, has waned as connections between the Liberal Democratic Party, of which Abe was a member, and the controversial Unification Church, which has been labeled a cult, have come to light.
Reports previously indicated that Abe’s assassination was tied to the Unification Church after the suspect reportedly believed that the organization bankrupted his family.
The LDP’s involvement with the Unification Church has continued to be problematic for Japan’s current prime minister, Fumio Kishida, whose approval ratings have taken a nosedive in recent weeks, according to two different media polls. Kishida is presently in New York for the annual UN General Assembly.