The man who assassinated Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been sentenced to life in prison, three and a half years after the shocking murder that stunned the nation and reverberated across the world.
On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, the Nara District Court handed down the sentence to Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, who pleaded guilty to murder charges at the opening of his trial last year.
The Court’s Decision
Presiding Judge Shinichi Tanaka described Yamagami’s actions as “despicable and extremely malicious,” noting that he had deliberately waited for an opportunity to target Abe with a homemade firearm.
“The act of waiting for an opportunity, finding an opening, and targeting the victim with a gun is despicable and extremely malicious,” the judge said, according to NHK.
Yamagami sat quietly with his hands clasped and eyes downcast as the sentence was delivered. Nearly 700 people lined up in the cold to secure one of the 31 seats available in the courtroom.
Divided Public Opinion
While prosecutors argued that Yamagami’s crime warranted life imprisonment, his defence team sought leniency, portraying him as a victim of “religious abuse.”
Yamagami’s mother’s devotion to the Unification Church bankrupted the family, with donations amounting to 100 million yen ($633,000; £471,000). Yamagami bore a grudge against Abe after learning of the former leader’s ties to the controversial church.
His lawyers argued for a sentence of no more than 20 years, but the court rejected the plea.
Abe’s Assassination and Its Fallout
On July 8, 2022, Abe was shot twice during a campaign rally in Nara by Yamagami, who used a homemade gun fashioned from metal pipes and duct tape. Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was 67 at the time.
The assassination prompted widespread investigations into the Unification Church, exposing its questionable practices, including coercive donations, and its ties to politicians in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Several cabinet ministers resigned in the aftermath.
In March 2025, a Tokyo court revoked the church’s status as a religious corporation, ruling that it exploited followers’ fears to solicit financially ruinous contributions.
Emotional Testimonies
Journalist Eito Suzuki, who covered nearly all of Yamagami’s hearings, described him as “world-weary and resigned.” Abe’s widow, Akie Abe, delivered a heartfelt statement to the court, saying the sorrow of losing her husband “will never be relieved.”
“I just wanted him to stay alive,” she said.
Yamagami’s sister also testified, recounting the dire circumstances endured by the family due to their mother’s devotion to the church. Her emotional testimony reportedly moved nearly everyone in the public gallery to tears.
Broader Reflections
Observers remain divided on whether Yamagami’s personal tragedies justify sympathy or a reduced penalty. Sociologist Rin Ushiyama noted that public empathy for Yamagami reflects widespread distrust of controversial religious groups in Japan.
“Yamagami was certainly a victim of parental neglect and economic hardship caused by the Unification Church, but this does not explain, let alone justify, his actions,” Ushiyama said.
The case highlights the intersection of personal trauma, religion, and politics in Japan, and raises broader questions about how social problems can drive individuals to commit serious crimes.
