TOKYO, Japan – The man accused of assassinating former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has pleaded guilty to murder as his long-awaited trial opened in Tokyo on Monday, more than two years after the killing that stunned Japan and reverberated around the world.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, told the court that “everything is true,” local media reported, confirming that he fired a homemade firearm at Abe during a campaign speech in the western city of Nara in July 2022.
The former leader, known internationally for his assertive foreign policy and economic reform agenda branded “Abenomics,” died hours later in hospital.
The attack, carried out in broad daylight, led to renewed scrutiny of security arrangements for politicians in one of the world’s safest countries.
But it also unleashed deeper political turbulence that cut to the heart of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Yamagami reportedly told investigators he had targeted Abe because he believed the former prime minister had ties to the Unification Church — a religious group widely known as the “Moonies.”
He claimed the group had driven his family into financial ruin, alleging his mother had donated roughly 100 million yen (about $660,000) as an expression of faith.
The revelations sparked a national outcry, forcing senior LDP officials to address long-standing but previously downplayed ties between party members and the church. Several cabinet ministers resigned in the ensuing scandal.
The backlash ultimately culminated in a landmark ruling earlier this year, when a Tokyo court ordered the dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan, removing its tax exemptions and requiring the organization to liquidate its assets.
Despite the public furor, reports indicate that Yamagami’s mother — expected to testify during the trial — has remained steadfast in her religious devotion.
In previous interviews cited by local media, she said the assassination had strengthened her faith.
While Yamagami admitted to the killing, his legal team is contesting some of the charges relating to weapons violations.
They argue the improvised firearm used in the attack does not fall under certain classifications under Japan’s strict arms control laws.
The trial is expected to run until January.
