Shinzo Abe’s Shooter Expected to Plead Guilty in Court on Tuesday

From Jiji

October 27 2025

TOKYO – Tetsuya Yamagami is expected to plead guilty to murdering former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the first hearing of his trial at Nara District Court on Tuesday, more than three years after the fatal shooting in the western city of Nara in July 2022. 
   The defense plans to claim that the damage Yamagami suffered from the controversial Unification Church religious group was behind the crime.
   On the other hand, the prosecution is expected to argue that the influence of the group on the incident should not be exaggerated and that the viciousness of the crime itself should be emphasized.
   The focus will be on the severity of the punishment for the 45-year-old defendant. The trial is scheduled to be concluded on Dec. 18. The verdict is expected to be handed down on Jan. 21 next year.
   According to the indictment, Yamagami fired a handmade gun twice at Abe, who was giving a stump speech in Nara on July 8, 2022, ahead of the House of Councillors election. The former prime minister died from blood loss due to damage to the right and left subclavian arteries.