The Trial of Tetsuya Yamagami — A Nation Reckons with the Assassination of Shinzo Abe
When Japan awoke on a summer morning in July 2022, few could have imagined that the day would end with the assassination of Shinzo Abe, the country’s longest-serving prime minister. The killing — carried out in broad daylight during a campaign speech in the city of Nara — shocked not only Japan but the entire world. Three years later, on October 28, 2025, the man accused of the murder, Tetsuya Yamagami, stood before a Japanese court and uttered the words: “Everything is true.”
The trial marks the beginning of the final chapter in a story that exposed deep cultural, political, and social undercurrents within one of the world’s safest nations.
A Shocking Crime in a Peaceful Nation
Japan is known for its exceptionally low crime rate and strict gun control laws. Gun violence is so rare that even police officers seldom draw their weapons. That’s why the assassination of Shinzo Abe on July 8, 2022, felt almost unimaginable.
As Abe addressed a small crowd outside a railway station, Yamagami approached from behind and fired two shots with what police later identified as a homemade firearm. The first missed, but the second struck Abe in the neck and chest. Despite desperate medical efforts, the 67-year-old former leader was pronounced dead hours later.
The incident plunged Japan into mourning and forced the nation to confront a new reality: even in one of the world’s safest societies, violence could find a way.
The Accused: Tetsuya Yamagami’s Troubled Past
The man behind the attack, Tetsuya Yamagami, was a 45-year-old former member of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. His background, revealed during investigations, tells a story of loss and bitterness. Yamagami’s family had long been associated with the Unification Church, a controversial religious organization founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon.
According to his lawyers, Yamagami’s mother was an intensely devoted member who donated nearly 100 million yen (about $1 million) to the Church. Her extreme faith led to financial ruin, the suicide of Yamagami’s father, and the collapse of the family’s stability. Struggling emotionally and economically, Yamagami came to blame the Church for destroying his life and his future.
The Motive: Religion, Politics, and Revenge
Yamagami’s actions were not motivated by traditional politics but by a personal vendetta rooted in his family’s suffering. He believed that Shinzo Abe was connected to the Unification Church, a belief fueled by Abe’s past appearances at events affiliated with Church organizations.
Prosecutors revealed that Yamagami initially planned to attack Church leaders but eventually decided that targeting Abe would draw public attention to the group’s influence in Japan. In his mind, killing one of the country’s most powerful figures would expose the Church’s reach and make people confront its alleged exploitation of followers.
This twisted sense of purpose transformed personal anger into a public tragedy.
Inside the Courtroom: A Chilling Confession
On October 28, 2025, Yamagami appeared before the Nara District Court, three years after the killing. Wearing a black T-shirt with his long hair tied back, he entered the courtroom handcuffed, a rope around his waist.
When asked to confirm his name and charges, he quietly responded, “Everything is true. I fully acknowledge that I committed these acts.”
More than 700 people lined up outside the courthouse, hoping to secure one of only 32 seats in the public gallery. The demand reflected the intensity of public interest in a case that had captivated the nation.
Yamagami’s defense confirmed he was pleading guilty to the murder but would contest certain charges, including alleged violations of arms control laws, arguing that his homemade weapon fell outside existing definitions.
The Fallout: Political and Religious Turmoil
The assassination triggered a wave of political scandal. Investigations revealed deep ties between the Unification Church and members of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), long dominated by conservative politicians aligned with Abe’s legacy.
Public outrage surged as it became clear that many lawmakers had accepted donations or attended Church-affiliated events. Within months, four cabinet ministers resigned, and then, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a close Abe ally, faced mounting pressure to address the issue.
The backlash reached its peak in October 2024, when the Tokyo District Court ordered the dissolution of the Unification Church’s Japanese branch, ruling that it had inflicted “unprecedented damage” on society through manipulative fundraising and psychological control over followers.
The Public’s Divided Reaction
Unusually for Japan, Yamagami’s actions sparked a wave of public sympathy. Many citizens, especially those raised in families tied to the Church, expressed understanding for his motives. Some saw him as a man pushed beyond his limits by institutional exploitation.
Online forums and social media filled with mixed reactions — some condemning the violence, others suggesting that his act had exposed an uncomfortable truth. The discussion raised complex questions about the boundary between victimhood and accountability.
Adding to the controversy, Yamagami’s mother told TBS News that her faith had strengthened after the assassination, a statement that both shocked and saddened many observers.
Security Lessons and Legislative Change
The assassination was also a wake-up call for Japan’s security services. A police report later revealed that officers at the scene failed to recognize the sound of gunfire due to the country’s near absence of gun violence. Their delayed response became a national embarrassment.
In response, Japan passed stricter gun control laws in 2024. The revised legislation criminalized the sharing of instructions or videos on how to make homemade firearms, with penalties of up to a year in prison or heavy fines. These changes were designed to ensure such a tragedy would never occur again.
Beyond the Crime: A Nation in Reflection
Yamagami’s trial has become more than a criminal proceeding. It is a reflection on how despair, ideology, and faith can intersect in unexpected and destructive ways.
His defense argues that years of psychological abuse and poverty drove him to an extreme act. Prosecutors counter that personal suffering can never justify murder. Between these two positions lies Japan’s broader struggle — reconciling compassion for a broken man with the need for justice and accountability.
The case has opened national conversations about religious exploitation, political transparency, and mental health, areas often hidden beneath Japan’s reputation for order and restraint.
Conclusion: The Legacy of a Tragedy
The assassination of Shinzo Abe remains one of the most shocking moments in Japan’s modern history. It shattered the illusion of perfect safety, exposed the hidden connections between faith and power, and forced citizens to question the moral boundaries of their society.
As Yamagami’s trial unfolds, it offers Japan an opportunity to confront not only what happened but why it happened — and what must change to prevent such despair from turning into violence again.
Whether seen as a personal tragedy, a political scandal, or a moral reckoning, the case of Tetsuya Yamagami has altered Japan’s social consciousness.
In a nation that values harmony and restraint, this crime and its aftermath serve as a painful reminder: even in the calmest societies, hidden tensions can erupt with devastating force.
