The man who killed Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a homemade gun has been sentenced to life in prison, Japanese public broadcaster NHK (Nippon Hoso Kyokai) reported on Wednesday. The verdict brings to a close a trial over an assassination that shocked Japan, a country where gun violence is extremely rare, and reignited scrutiny of an influential religious sect.
Tetsuya Yamagami shot Abe in broad daylight on July 8, 2022 while the former leader was delivering a campaign speech on a street in the western city of Nara. Yamagami used a gun he had built himself at home. Abe had stepped down as prime minister in 2020 due to health reasons but remained politically active and highly influential as Japan’s longest serving leader.
Yamagami, now 45, was arrested at the scene and formally indicted the following year on murder and firearms charges. In delivering the sentence, Judge Shinichi Tanaka condemned the calculated nature of the killing. It was a despicable act that the perpetrator waited for an opportunity, seized a moment, and targeted the victim with a gun, the judge said. Needless to say, the outcome was devastating.
The judge also described the attack as an extremely dangerous and malicious act, noting that it was carried out using a firearm in front of a crowd. Hundreds of people gathered outside the Nara District Court to witness the proceedings, with authorities using a lottery system to allocate limited courtroom seats.
Abe served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. His leadership is often regarded as Japan’s last prolonged period of political stability. During his tenure, he reshaped Japan’s security policy, expanding the country’s military role and strengthening ties with the United States while also engaging diplomatically with China.
His assassination sent shockwaves through the nation and the international community, highlighting the rarity of gun related crimes in Japan due to its strict firearms laws. The killing also triggered political turmoil at home. Since Abe’s resignation, Japan has seen frequent leadership changes, while his Liberal Democratic Party became embroiled in scandal, inflation challenges, and growing public discontent.
The case brought renewed attention to the relationship between the ruling party and the Unification Church. Yamagami told the court he blamed the church for bankrupting his family through excessive donations made by his mother, a member of the sect. He claimed he targeted Abe because he believed the former leader was connected to the organization after sending a video message to an event affiliated with the church.
A government investigation later found that the church had violated regulations by pressuring followers into making large donations. A Tokyo court ordered its dissolution last year, though the church has appealed the decision. Investigations revealed that more than 100 ruling party lawmakers had ties to the church, with several senior figures admitting they received election support from its members.
The revelations sparked public outrage and contributed to the party losing its parliamentary majority. Prosecutors described the assassination as an extremely grave incident that is unprecedented in post war history and pushed for a life sentence. Defense lawyers argued for leniency, citing the damage inflicted on Yamagami’s family by the religious group and requesting a maximum sentence of 20 years.
Japanese law authorizes the death penalty in murder cases, but prosecutors typically do not request it unless at least two people are killed. Under Japanese law, a life sentence leaves open the possibility of parole, although experts say many prisoners with this penalty die while incarcerated.
Yamagami’s story of a troubled childhood drew significant public sympathy. Thousands of people signed a petition requesting leniency for him, and others sent care packages to his relatives and the detention center where he was held. His case also influenced new legislation meant to restrict malicious donation solicitations by religious and other groups.
The trial, which began in October 2025 at the Nara District Court, saw Yamagami plead guilty to all charges during the first hearing. He told prosecutors he initially planned to target Hak Ja Han, the Unification Church leader, but switched to Abe because of the difficulty of approaching her.
Prosecutors argued that starting in 2020, Yamagami meticulously prepared for the attack by hand crafting a lethal firearm and conducting test firing sessions in a remote mountainous area, pointing to the highly premeditated nature of his actions. The assassination was also a wake up call for a nation with some of the world’s strictest gun controls.
