On July 14th, a shrine in Osaka, Japan, reported that the “Abe Memorial” erected there for the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had been painted black. The photograph of Abe on the memorial was adorned with what is referred to as “defamatory statements,” which have since been erased. It was reported that this “Abe Memorial” was established on July 2nd, and Abe’s widow, Akie Abe, unveiled it on the 6th. On July 8th, 2022, Shinzo Abe was shot while giving a speech on the street and succumbed to his injuries after several hours of emergency treatment.