Abe Assassination Trial: Accused Tetsuya Yamagami Pleads Guilty, Says “There Is No Doubt That I Did It”

Tokyo, Oct 2025 : In a dramatic courtroom admission, the man accused of assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 pleaded guilty on Tuesday, marking the first hearing in a case that stunned Japan and cast a harsh spotlight on the controversial Unification Church and its alleged political ties.

Appearing before the Nara District Court, 45-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami confessed to the killing, saying, “It is true. There is no doubt that I did it.” He is charged with fatally shooting Abe with a handmade firearm during a campaign speech in Nara on July 8, 2022 — an attack that shocked a nation where gun violence is exceedingly rare.

The defence team has argued that Yamagami’s actions were deeply influenced by a childhood marked by “religious abuse.” They said his mother, a long-time follower of the Unification Church, made donations totalling 100 million yen to the group, plunging the family into financial ruin. According to the defence counsel, this background profoundly shaped Yamagami’s state of mind and motives. His mother is among 12 witnesses scheduled to testify before the court delivers its ruling on January 21.

During the proceedings, prosecutors stated that Yamagami bore deep resentment toward the Unification Church, believing that the organization had destroyed his family. They argued that he targeted Abe because the former prime minister was perceived as having close ties with the group. Prosecutors said Yamagami thought that killing Abe would draw “public attention and criticism” toward the organization.

Prosecutors described the repercussions of the assassination as “unprecedented in postwar Japan,” warning that personal hardship cannot justify an act of political violence. They urged the court not to allow the defendant’s difficult upbringing to mitigate the severity of his punishment.

According to investigative reports cited by Kyodo News, Abe became a symbolic target because his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi — who also served as Japan’s prime minister — was instrumental in introducing the Unification Church to Japan in the 1950s. Founded in South Korea in 1954 by staunch anti-communist Sun Myung Moon, the organization has long faced allegations of exploitative fundraising and undue political influence.

Yamagami also faces additional charges, including property damage for test-firing his handmade weapon and violations of Japan’s strict laws governing firearms, explosives, and weapon manufacturing.

The Unification Church, officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, has faced intense scrutiny in Japan since the assassination. The group’s links with members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party — once led by Abe — have drawn widespread criticism. The Japanese government has sought the group’s dissolution, though the Church has contested the move in court.

Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, died at the age of 67. Born into a powerful political dynasty, he first became prime minister in 2006, returned to power in 2012, and resigned in 2020 due to health issues. His death marked a turning point in Japan’s political and social landscape — one that continues to resonate as the trial unfolds.