Life Sentence for Assassin of Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe

The Nara District Court sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami to life imprisonment on July 26, 2023, for the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Yamagami, who pleaded guilty to the murder, shot Abe in July 2022 using a homemade firearm.

During the trial, Yamagami’s defense team argued that the firearm laws at the time of the incident did not apply to the type of weapon he used. However, Presiding Judge Shinichi Tanaka rejected this argument, convicting Yamagami of violating Japan’s Firearms and Swords Control Law in addition to murder.

The defense sought a lenient sentence of 20 years or less, claiming Yamagami had been a victim of abuse. They pointed to his difficult upbringing as a mitigating factor. In contrast, the prosecution highlighted that many individuals face challenging circumstances without resorting to violence.

In a detailed assessment of the case, Judge Tanaka noted that Yamagami had deliberately approached Abe, waited for the right moment, and fired in a public space, posing a danger to others. The judge condemned Yamagami’s actions as a “malicious act” and imposed the maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

According to Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), Yamagami targeted Abe due to the former Prime Minister’s alleged connections to the Unification Church. Yamagami claimed that his mother’s involvement with the church had led to his childhood neglect and financial hardship caused by her substantial donations.

Court proceedings revealed that Yamagami had expressed his grievances online under a now-suspended anonymous username, where he voiced his anger towards the church. This tragic incident has intensified scrutiny regarding the influence of the Unification Church in Japan, particularly as the organization has faced legal challenges over its fundraising practices.

Since the 1980s, the Unification Church has paid over 2 billion yen in court-ordered damages and more than 20 billion yen in settlements related to claims of coercive fundraising tactics. The recent shooting incident has prompted renewed discussions about the church’s activities and its impact on society.

In a significant development, the Tokyo District Court ordered the dissolution of the Japanese branch of the Unification Church in March 2025, further highlighting the ongoing controversies surrounding the organization. This case not only brought attention to Yamagami’s motivations but also to the broader implications of religious influence in Japan’s public life.