Life sentence for man who killed Japan’s ex-PM Shinzo Abe

Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, has been sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, more than three years after shooting the longtime political leader at a campaign rally in Nara. The Nara District Court handed down the sentence on Wednesday, bringing to a close a trial that captivated Japan and raised difficult questions about security, political violence, and the country's relationship with controversial religious groups.

Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, was delivering a campaign speech outside Yamato-Saidaiji Station on July 8, 2022, when Yamagami fired two shots at him with an improvised firearm. The first shot missed, but the second struck Abe in the neck and chest. He was rushed by medical helicopter to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead at 5:03 pm, about five and a half hours after being shot.

Background

The assassination stunned a nation with virtually no gun crime. Japan has some of the world's strictest firearm laws, making the use of a gun in such a high-profile attack extraordinarily rare. Yamagami constructed the weapon himself, using materials to create a homemade firearm that security guards at the scene initially struggled to recognize as a real gun. Some witnesses said the shots sounded like fireworks or a tire blowout, which may explain the delayed response from Abe's bodyguards after the first shot.

Abe had served as prime minister twice, first from 2006 to 2007 and then again from 2012 until his resignation in 2020. Even after stepping down, he remained an influential political figure and was campaigning for Liberal Democratic Party candidates when he was killed.

Investigators quickly learned that Yamagami's motive was rooted in a personal grudge against the Unification Church, a religious organization with which Abe and his family had political ties. Yamagami told police that his mother had gone bankrupt in 2002 after making large donations to the church, and he blamed the organization and Abe's political support for it as factors in his family's financial ruin.

Key Details

Yamagami pleaded guilty to all charges at the opening of his trial in late October 2025. When prosecutors read the charges against him—including murder, illegal firearm manufacturing, explosives violations, and property damage—he responded directly and without hesitation.

"It is true. There is no doubt that I did it," Yamagami said during his first court appearance.

The sentence handed down by the court matched exactly what prosecutors had requested. Yamagami's defense lawyers had argued that the homemade weapon he used did not technically fall within Japan's legal definition of a handgun, and they asked for a reduced sentence. The court rejected this argument.

The trial itself became a focal point for broader conversations in Japan about the Unification Church's influence on Japanese politics. Investigations following Abe's death revealed that several cabinet members had received financial support or other backing from the organization. Some government officials were forced to resign over these connections, and the scandal exposed the depth of the church's ties to Japan's ruling party.

Public Reaction

The sentencing has divided public opinion in Japan in unexpected ways. While some view Yamagami as a cold-blooded murderer who committed an act of terrorism against a political leader, others have expressed sympathy for him. Many Japanese citizens see his actions as rooted in legitimate grievances against the Unification Church and its exploitation of vulnerable families. The church's aggressive fundraising practices and its influence over politicians have long been controversial in Japan.

Large crowds gathered outside the courthouse in Nara on Wednesday as the verdict was announced, reflecting the intense public interest in the case.

What This Means

Abe's assassination and the subsequent trial have forced Japan to confront uncomfortable truths about security, religious influence in politics, and the vulnerability of public figures even in a country with low violent crime rates. The case has also raised questions about how political organizations vet their supporters and how closely they should be monitored when they appear to exploit people financially.

For Japan's political establishment, the trial served as a reminder that public anger over political decisions and alliances can have serious consequences. The Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for most of the postwar era, faced scrutiny over its relationship with the Unification Church and the financial benefits some members received from the organization.

Yamagami will now serve his life sentence in a Japanese prison. Under Japanese law, a life sentence typically means the person will remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life, though parole is theoretically possible after a minimum period. His case will likely remain a significant moment in modern Japanese history, marking a rare instance of political violence in a country where such acts are extremely uncommon.