Gov. David Ige ordered U.S. and Hawaii flags at the state Capitol and other state buildings to fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset Sunday in memory of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated Friday while giving a campaign speech in western Japan.
The flags are already at half-staff to honor the victims of the Fourth of July Highland Park, Ill., shooting until sunset today.
Abe, 67, was fatally shot on the street in Nara, near Kyoto, by a gunman who fired a handmade weapon at him from behind. Police arrested Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, at the scene on suspicion of murder.
Ige said in a statement Friday that he was “devastated” by Abe’s death and called him a “true friend of Hawaii.” The governor also shared a photo of the prime minister’s visit to the state in December 2016 on social media.
“In our multiple meetings, we shared stories of our past, embraced our common culture, and continued the quest for reconciliation and partnership that has developed between the United States and Japan,” Ige said.
Abe and then-President Barack Obama met at the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 27, 2016, in what was considered a landmark display of reconciliation. Abe was first sitting Japanese prime minister to visit the hallowed site.
The two world leaders presented wreaths in the shrine room, where the names of the Arizona’s fallen sailors and Marines cover a marble wall, and dropped orchids into the well that overlooks the ship’s rusting hull.
“As the prime minister of Japan,” Abe said afterward, “I offer my sincere and everlasting condolences to the souls of those who lost their lives here, as well as to the spirits of all the brave men and women whose lives were taken by a war that commenced in this very place.”
A day earlier, Abe presented a wreath at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl, placing a second wreath on the grave of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, noting he had spent quite a bit of time with the Hawaii senator and war hero. The Japanese leader also visited Makiki Cemetery, where a monument honors the first Japanese immigrants who came to Hawaii in 1868, and the Ehime Maru Memorial at Kakaako Waterfront Park commemorating the nine Japanese citizens, including high school students, who died in 2001 when their fisheries training ship sank after being struck by a U.S. submarine.
Consul General Yutaka Aoki on Friday recalled Abe’s visit to Pearl Harbor with Obama, where they pledged to “never repeat the horrors of war and demonstrated the importance of the power of reconciliation that has made possible the strong Japan-U.S. relationship.”
Other Hawaii officials offered their condolences Friday following the announcement of Abe’s death.
“Abe was a transformational figure in Japan who dedicated his life in service of his country,” said U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono in a statement. “A friend to the United States, Prime Minister Abe fought for the Japanese people and strengthened the relationship between our two countries.”
Hawaii’s four county mayors responded to the news with similar sentiments, noting their respective counties’ sister city relationships with a number of areas in Japan.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi called Abe’s death “a devastating blow to those around the world who admired his principles when it came to leadership and democracy. He was a towering international figure and a champion for peace not only in the Indo-Pacific region, but in countries across the globe. Mr. Abe worked tirelessly to strengthen the bond between Japan and the state of Hawaii and prioritized the continued pursuit of reconciliation between our two nations.”
Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth expressed shock and sadness at Abe’s assassination and condemned violence toward elected officials. “No matter our views toward our elected officials, violence should never be the answer,” Roth said in a statement.
Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino noted that residents share “deep cultural ties with Japan,” while Kauai Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said Abe’s “kindness and leadership have touched us all, especially here on Kaua‘i where our ties with Japan are tightly knit.”
—
Condolences
Members of the public may sign a book of condolences on the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the Consulate General of Japan, 1742 Nuuanu Ave.
