A man who killed former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a rare shooting attack has been sentenced to life in prison, bringing to a close a years-long legal case that has rocked Japan’s political system and society.
Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday that the Nara District Court had sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, who pleaded guilty to assassinating Abe during the 2022 election campaign.
Prosecutors demanded a life sentence and described the murder as “an extremely serious incident that has no parallels in post-war history”, Reuters wrote. Defense attorneys argued for a lighter sentence, pointing to the lasting harm the Unification Church had done to Yamagami’s family.
Assassination of Shinzo Abe: What happened in Nara
Abe was shot dead on July 8, 2022, during a campaign speech near a railway station in the western city of Nara. Television footage showed two shots rang out as the former leader raised his fist before collapsing and clutching his chest. Officials later confirmed that he died almost immediately.
Yamagami was arrested at the scene after using a crude, homemade firearm – an attack that stunned a country known for some of the world’s strictest gun control laws and an exceptionally low rate of gun violence.
The court found Yamagami guilty of murder and firearms offenses and supported the prosecution’s call for a life sentence. His legal team had sought a sentence of up to 20 years, citing his upbringing in a household linked to a controversial religious organisation.
Why Tetsuya Yamagami Said He Killed Shinzo Abe
During the trial, Yamagami told the court that his actions were driven by hatred of the Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.
He said he decided to kill Abe after seeing a video message the former prime minister sent to a church-affiliated group. According to his testimony, his intention was to damage the organization and expose what he believed to be its ties to Abe, rather than target a politician over political differences.
Yamagami also told the court that he originally planned to assassinate the church leader but changed his target because it was too difficult to get to him.
Unification Church under scrutiny after Abe’s killing
The assassination sparked intense scrutiny of the long-standing ties between Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Unification Church.
Yamagami blamed the church for bankrupting his family through an excessive donation from his mother, a follower. He said he targeted Abe because he believed the former leader was linked to a sect that originated in South Korea.
A subsequent government investigation found that the organization violated Japanese regulations by allegedly pressuring its followers to make exorbitant donations. Last March, a court ordered the Japanese branch of the church to disband, although the sect is appealing the ruling.
Political impact on Japan’s ruling party
The case exposed deep-seated ties between the LDP and the Unification Church, fueling public anger. Investigators found that more than half of the party’s lawmakers had connections to the group.
Several high-profile figures, including a former defense minister, have admitted to receiving electoral support from church members. Then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida removed those officials from key posts and pledged to sever the party’s ties to the organization.
However, the damage proved to be permanent. Public distrust grew and voters delivered a sharp rebuke at the ballot box, handing seats to opposition parties and stripping the LDP of its parliamentary majority.
Shinzo Abe’s Legacy and Japan’s Political Uncertainty
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, led the country from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020, stepping down due to health problems. Even after leaving office, he remained a dominant and influential political figure.
During his tenure, Abe reshaped Japan’s security policy, pushing through major legislation in 2015 that expanded the country’s military role and its ability to support the United States. On the global stage, he cultivated close ties with Washington and sought to improve relations with Beijing, even as he sought to counter Chinese influence by strengthening alliances in the Pacific.
Since his death, Japan’s political landscape has remained unsettled. The ruling party is grappling with scandals, inflationary pressures and internal divisions amid a broader rightward shift in national politics.
The current prime minister, Abe’s protégé Sanae Takaichi, has called snap elections next month in a bid to capitalize on rising popularity and restore confidence in the ruling party.
