Tetsuya Yamagami Pleads Guilty in Shinzo Abe Assassination Trial

Overview

• Yamagami, 45, admitted in a Nara courtroom to killing the former prime minister during a 2022 campaign speech.
• Prosecutors charge him with murder and gun-control violations tied to an alleged homemade firearm.
• Defense counsel signaled plans to challenge some counts, arguing the device used does not meet Japan’s legal definition of a firearm.
• Reporting has linked his motive to anger over Abe’s ties to the Unification Church after large donations by Yamagami’s mother.
• The court scheduled additional hearings through late 2025, with a verdict slated for January 21, 2026, and potential penalties ranging from a long prison term to, in rare cases, capital punishment.