Tetsuya Yamagami, the 45-year-old man accused of assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, pleaded guilty to murder charges in court on Tuesday.
The admission, “Everything is true,” was made at the Nara District Court as his long-awaited trial began, just over three years after the shocking daylight assassination in July 2022.
The slaying of Japan’s longest-serving leader, who was shot with a handmade gun while giving a campaign speech, stunned the nation and exposed deep-seated ties between the controversial Unification Church and prominent conservative lawmakers.
While Yamagami pleaded guilty to the murder, his lawyers indicated they would contest other charges, including alleged violations of arms control laws, arguing they do not apply to the crude, homemade weapon he constructed.
The trial is expected to heavily feature Yamagami’s motive, which prosecutors and his defense link to “religious abuse.” Yamagami reportedly held a profound grudge against the Unification Church, which he blames for bankrupting his family. His mother, a devout member, is said to have donated around 100 million yen ($1 million at the time) to the group.
Yamagami allegedly targeted Abe due to his perceived ties to the church and his role in promoting its activities in Japan.
The assassination’s aftermath triggered a political reckoning. Revelations of widespread connections between the church (whose members are often called “Moonies”) and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party led to the resignation of four government ministers and a collapse in public trust.
Earlier this year, the Tokyo District Court issued a dissolution order for the Unification Church’s Japanese arm, stating it had caused “unprecedented damage” to society by financially exploiting its followers.
The attack also served as a severe wake-up call for Japan, a country with some of the world’s strictest gun laws. A post-attack police report found that security officials at the scene, unaccustomed to gun violence, failed to immediately recognize the sound of the first shot, delaying their ability to protect Abe.
In response, Japan’s parliament passed a new bill in 2024 specifically strengthening controls against homemade firearms. Under the new rules, uploading tutorial videos on how to make guns or sharing information about their sale on social media is now punishable by fines or imprisonment.
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