Protests erupt as Japan honours former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a lavish state funeral

Digital Desk: Protesters gather in Tokyo to oppose Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's state funeral. 

Protests were seen on Tuesday ahead of the state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated on the campaign trail in July. The protests, which have lasted roughly two months, have become a major headache for Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida.

The estimated cost of Shinzo Abe's state funeral is 1.7 billion yen, or $12 million, which has enraged many Japanese, who believe the state-funded celebration for Japan's heavily indebted government is unjust.

Shinzo Abe State Funeral: Anti-state funeral protesters gather in a street near the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo ahead of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's state funeral.

Since the beginning of the protests, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has attempted to assuage public concerns numerous times, as the controversy undermines his proposed record defense spending increase. Kishida's approval ratings are at their lowest since he took office in October.

 Tokyo remained on high alert on Tuesday, anticipating protests against the state funeral. Last week, a man apparently set himself on fire near Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's office in protest of the state funeral.