‘Everything is true’: Shinzo Abe’s accused assassin pleads guilty as trial begins in Japan

Shinzo Abe murder trial opens with gunman pleading guilty to killing ex-Japanese PM

Three years after the assassination of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shocked the world, the murder trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of the assassination, opened on Tuesday in the western city of Nara.

The 45-year-old defendant, accused of shooting Abe with a homemade gun during an election campaign in July 2022, admitted to the crime, saying calmly, “Everything is true.”

Yamagami faces charges of murder and weapons violations. His legal team is expected to argue that his actions were driven by emotional and financial distress caused by his mother’s involvement with the Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

Prosecutors, however, maintain that Yamagami acted deliberately and was fully aware of his actions.

Abe was killed while delivering a campaign speech near Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara. Investigators say Yamagami built the weapon himself and targeted Abe because of his perceived ties to the Unification Church, which he blamed for bankrupting his family after his mother donated around 100 million yen (about $663,000) to the group.

The assassination sent shockwaves through Japan, a country with some of the world’s strictest gun laws, and exposed deep links between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Unification Church. The revelations led to the resignation of several ministers and severely eroded public trust in the government.

In March, a Tokyo court ordered the dissolution of the Church’s Japanese branch, citing “unprecedented damage” caused by its exploitative fundraising practices. The Church has appealed the decision, which strips its tax-exempt status but allows it to continue operations.

The killing also prompted Japan to tighten its already strict gun control laws. Under new legislation passed in 2024, sharing online tutorials on firearm manufacturing or promoting gun sales on social media is now punishable by fines or imprisonment.

The trial, expected to span 18 hearings, will conclude with a verdict on January 21, 2026.