International: The man accused of assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pleaded guilty, marking the beginning of one of Japan’s most high-profile and emotionally charged trials in recent years.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, admitted on October 28 to fatally shooting Abe during a campaign speech in the western city of Nara in July 2022. The killing, carried out with a homemade firearm, stunned Japan and drew global attention to the country’s political and religious affiliations.
The Nara District Court announced that the hearings will continue through December, with the final verdict expected on January 21. On the first day of the trial, hundreds gathered outside the courthouse, and according to Kyodo News, 727 people competed in a lottery for just 32 public seats inside the courtroom.
Prosecutors revealed that Yamagami’s motive stemmed from Abe’s alleged connections with the Unification Church, which he blamed for his family’s financial collapse. Investigations uncovered that his mother had donated around 100 million yen (approximately £520,000) to the organisation, leaving the family burdened with debt.
According to sources, Yamagami told police he held Abe responsible, believing that the former leader’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, had helped introduce the South Korea-based religious group to Japan in the 1950s. Before the shooting, Yamagami reportedly conducted multiple test firings of homemade weapons near facilities linked to the church.
He now faces several charges, including murder, property damage, and violations of Japan’s firearms and explosives laws. Following a six-month psychiatric evaluation, Yamagami was declared mentally fit to stand trial. Among those expected to testify are his mother, a religious scholar, and a lawmaker who witnessed the attack.
The assassination of Shinzo Abe on July 8, 2022, ended the life of Japan’s longest-serving post-war prime minister and exposed deep ties between the Unification Church and Japanese political figures, particularly within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. As proceedings continue in Nara, the case has reignited national debate over those connections — a conversation now unfolding under the leadership of Abe’s protégé, Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s recently appointed first female prime minister.
