A man accused of assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 pleaded guilty to all charges as his trial commenced on Tuesday.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, admitted to the murder of Japan’s longest-serving leader and to violations of arms control laws for using a handmade weapon in the attack. “Everything is true,” the suspect told the court.
Abe was fatally shot on July 8, 2022, while giving a speech during an election campaign in the western city of Nara. Yamagami was immediately arrested at the scene.
The motive for the assassination was reportedly the suspect’s deep-seated anger over Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s links to the Unification Church (officially the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification).
Japanese media reports indicate that Yamagami held a personal vendetta against the South Korean religious group, blaming it for his family’s financial ruin after his mother donated approximately 100 million yen (over $660,000).
The Unification Church, whose followers are sometimes disparagingly referred to as “Moonies,” has long faced criticism and the revelations following the assassination exposed extensive ties between the organization and LDP lawmakers, significantly driving down public support for the ruling party.
Following the initial court session, the trial is scheduled for 17 additional hearings this year, with a verdict expected on January 21, 2026.
