Man who killed former Japan PM Shinzo Abe pleads guilty, cites grudge over church
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was fatally shot on July 8, 2022, while delivering a campaign speech.
The man accused of assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pleaded guilty, three years after the broad-daylight shooting that stunned Japan and the world.
Reports indicate that Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, admitted to all charges—including murder and violations of Japan’s strict firearms law—when his trial opened on Tuesday in Nara, western Japan, the same city where the attack occurred.
“Everything is true,” he told the court, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK.
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was fatally shot on July 8, 2022, while delivering a campaign speech. The suspect, who was arrested at the scene, used a homemade gun in a country known for its exceptionally low crime rates and stringent gun-control laws.
Following the assassination, Japan’s National Police Agency acknowledged major lapses in Abe’s security detail. A subsequent review found that officers had failed to properly assess risks or coordinate their response, leaving critical gaps that allowed the attacker to approach the former leader.
Investigators later determined that Yamagami’s actions were fueled by resentment toward the Unification Church, a South Korea-based religious movement. He reportedly believed Abe’s political party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), had close ties to the group, which he blamed for his family’s financial collapse.
Yamagami’s mother allegedly donated about 100 million yen (Sh84.9 million) to the church, leaving the family bankrupt.
The killing sparked nationwide outrage and triggered intense scrutiny of the Unification Church’s influence in Japanese politics.
Revelations that more than 100 LDP lawmakers had ties to the organisation eroded public trust and pushed the government to tighten oversight of religious donations.
According to NHK, Yamagami’s defence team told the court they would not contest the facts of the case but argued that Japan’s Swords and Firearms Control Law did not cover homemade weapons at the time of the attack. They are seeking a lighter sentence, claiming that the charge of discharging a firearm should not apply.
The court has scheduled 17 additional hearings, with a verdict expected on January 21, 2026.
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