There was an outpouring of sympathy from serving and previous local and foreign diplomats Tuesday as they signed the condolence book for slain former prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe at the residence of the the Japanese ambassador in St Andrew.

Jamaican politicians and foreign representatives from the United States of America, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and other countries who are stationed in Jamaica, streamed into the official residence of the ambassador to sign the book of condolences in honour of Abe, who was 67 at the time of his death. He served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.

Among the people to sign the book was former Jamaican ambassador to Japan Claudia Barnes, who had the honour of meeting Abe during her tenure. She said his death was a shock to her. “I was ambassador during the period 2009 to September 2013 and there were several changes in the Japanese Government. I left office during his tenure as prime minister, but I had the privilege of meeting him while we were at a function at the Imperial Palace in Japan. While there, I saw him walking the grounds. When I saw him, I just walked over and I was shocked by the reception. Even though he was prime minister, I received such warm kindness and humility, which I have never forgotten and which was a major lesson in my personal and professional life.

“To be frank, because he is someone I actually met, I am still in disbelief because having had the good fortune to be sent to Japan by my own Government, Japan for me, was a safe haven. I could get up at any time of the night and decide that I am going to exercise on the street. One could even forget their wallet in the train station nobody would steal it. The assassination floored me, I must confess.

“For such a person who has been so innovative and a real transformative leader who has done so much for his people and we have had the benefit of having a very fruitful visit from the prime minister, I am still processing it. You can see that it has shocked the world with the sort of attention it got.”

Abe, who was assassinated in his country last week, was laid to rest in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Abe was shot by a 41-year-old man, who reportedly confessed to shooting the former prime minister with a homemade firearm as he gave a speech during a political campaign event on the streets of the city of Nara on the morning of Friday, July 8. Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister received injuries in the neck and also suffered damage to his heart.

The suspect, who was immediately arrested by the police and taken into custody, told police that he held a grudge against a group that he believed Abe was strongly connected to.