The death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is a “great loss” for the whole world, said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday, expressing his “deep sadness”.

“The death of the Queen, who has carried Britain through turbulent times in the world, is a great loss not only for the British people but also for the international community,” he told reporters.

Hailing the Queen’s “extremely important role in world peace and stability,” Kishida said she has “made great contributions to strengthening Japan-Britain ties.”

He offered his condolences to the government and said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of her death.

Flags in Japan will be flown at half-mast in honor of the late monarch, Chief Cabinet Officer Hirokazu Matsuno said.

Noboru Suzuki, 81, was among those offering condolences outside the British Embassy in Tokyo, where some people laid flowers at the gate.

“The British royal family is one of the most well-known, so I’m sure sadness grips the whole world, but because Japan has its own royal family, we’re also shocked,” he told AFP.

Another mourner, 54-year-old Yasuko Osawa, said she has studied in Britain twice, her trips coinciding with the heyday of Princess Diana’s popularity.

“So my path crossed paths with the British royal family, if only a little bit,” she said.

Osawa said her generation in Japan had embraced British music and “everyone around me would go to Britain to study”.

“British royals have had their fair share of scandals but I sincerely hope they can overcome this loss,” she said, adding that the Queen is “someone who really deserves a state funeral.”

Japan will hold a state funeral later this month for assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, an event that has sparked controversy in part because of its $12 million price tag.