Harris to lead delegation for former Japanese Prime Minister Abe's funeral

Vice President Kamala Harris will lead the U.S. delegation for the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, her press secretary Kirsten Allen said in a statement on Wednesday.

The big picture: Harris' visit to Tokyo will "underscore the importance of [Abe's] leadership in championing the alliance between the United States and Japan and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific," Allen said.

• Other members of the delegation will be announced later, per the statement.

Flashback: Abe was assassinated in July, leaving the world shocked and outraged.

• He was shot while giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara and was rushed to the hospital, but pronounced dead later that day. He was 67.
• "I am stunned, outraged and deeply saddened by the news that my friend Abe Shinzo, former Prime Minister of Japan, was shot and killed while campaigning," Biden said in a statement at the time.
• "This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him," he said.

Of note: Harris will be in Asia from Sept. 25 to 29. She will also visit South Korea and meet with senior government officials in Seoul.

• Her visit to Japan and South Korea will "highlight the strength" of the U.S.' alliances in the countries and the "shared economic and security interests in the region and around the world," per the statement.

Go deeper: Biden "stunned" and "outraged" over Shinzo Abe's assassination