The State Funeral is NOT a State Funeral in Japan...? 国葬は国葬ではないんです

In Japan, the state funeral isn't a state funeral.... ????? I'll explain. 
国葬は国葬ではない｡｡｡ 言ってることが分かりません｡｡｡

About two months have passed since former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was killed because of his deep (and dark) relationship with the Unification Church. At first, the focus was how he was killed by whom but now has shifted to investigating the relationship not only Abe but other Liberal Democratic Party ("LDP") members have had with the church and whether Abe deserves a state funeral. As a translator, however, I have another issue with the remark made by many LDP lawmakers: "The state funeral (for Abe) isn't a state funeral."

I'm pretty sure many of you don't understand, so let me elaborate. What these lawmakers are saying is that the funeral for Abe is not a state funeral but a state ritual.       

They need to say this for a reason. There's no legal basis for performing a state funeral. In 1947, the State Funeral Act was repealed when the Constitution of Japan took effect. So, these lawmakers, including the prime minister Kishida, use the Act for Establishment of the Cabinet Office as the basis for performing a state funeral for Abe. The thing is, however, this act doesn't provide anything about "state funerals." (If you're interested in the provisions, see the end of the post.)

The provisions just state that the Cabinet Office has the power to make decisions on clerical affairs related to rituals performed by the state or the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Legislation Bureau also once said in 1975 when the former prime minister Takeo Miki died that no legal basis was provided for the performance of a state funeral and that therefore the performance of a state funeral required approval from the three branches of government.

Despite this background, LDP lawmakers are now saying that the Cabinet Office has the authority to decide whether to perform a state ritual (not a state funeral) and that the funeral for Abe is not a state funeral, for which there's no legal basis, but a state funeral ritual, over which the Cabinet Office has jurisdiction.

Japan is a high context culture and the responsibility for clear communication falls on not the sender, but the receiver. So, they say as follows omitting some words: "国葬は国葬ではないんです," meaning "The funeral for Abe is not a state funeral, for which there's no legal basis, but a state funeral ritual, over which the Cabinet Office has jurisdiction."

See, the responsibility to decipher remarks made by Japanese politicians, most of whom use as few words as possible to be evasive intentionally or unintentionally, always falls on the translator. 

Translation of the provisions

Act for Establishment of the Cabinet Office (underlined by KeiNarujima)

Article 4    The Cabinet Office shall govern the clerical affairs related to the planning and coordination of the matters below necessary to perform the tasks provided in Paragraph 1* of the preceding article and build a consensus among administrative bodies.

* Paragraph 1 of the preceding article provides as follows: The duty of the Cabinet Office shall be to assist the Cabinet with clerical affairs related to important matters of the Cabinet.

Paragraph 3    In addition to those provided in the preceding two paragraphs, the Cabinet office shall govern the clerical affairs below to achieve the tasks provided in these paragraphs.

Subparagraph 33   Clerical affairs related to state and cabinet rituals (excluding those under the jurisdiction of other ministries) 

安倍元首相がなくなり、ほぼ2カ月たちました。今の焦点は「自民党議員と旧統一教会とのつながり」と「国葬」でしょうか。

で、最近耳を疑うフレーズを聞きました。「国葬は国葬ではないんです。安倍元首相の葬儀は国葬儀なんです」｡｡｡？国葬と国葬儀って何が違うの？

調べてみたら、国葬を規定する国葬令は1947年に廃止されているので、安倍氏の葬儀について岸田総理は内閣設置法（以下）を根拠にするとのこと。

内閣設置法（下線はKei Narujima）
第4条　内閣府は、前条第一項の任務を達成するため、行政各部の施策の統一を図るために必要となる次に掲げる事項の企画及び立案並びに総合調整に関する事務（中略）をつかさどる。

第3項　前二項に定めるもののほか、内閣府は、前条第二項の任務を達成するため、次に掲げる事務をつかさどる。
第33号　国の儀式並びに内閣の行う儀式及び行事に関する事務に関すること（他省の所掌に属するものを除く。）。

どこを読んでも国葬実施を決定する権限が内閣に付与されているようには思えないのですがどう思われますか。（故三木首相の時も同じことが議論され、当時の内閣法制局は国葬実施には三権からの了承が必要という見解を示したそうです。）

それに「国葬は国葬ではないんです。安倍元首相の葬儀は国葬儀なんです」って何言ってるか全くわからない！（英語にしても通じない｡｡｡）「調査と点検」の話もそうですが、英語にしても通じないことってどこかに嘘があるんです。もうやめてくれませんかね｡｡｡ 

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