The trial of Tetsuya Yamagami is part of the aftermath of the assassination of Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, on 8 July 2022. Tetsuya Yamagami, the sole suspect in the killing, was arrested at the scene after he shot Shinzo Abe with a homemade firearm. Abe was later pronounced dead that day, and Yamagami was charged with murder, violations of the Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law, Weapon Manufacturing Law, Gunpowder Control Law and property damage. His criminal trial began on 28 October 2025 at the Nara District Court.
During the first hearing, Yamagami acknowledged the charges outlined in the indictments. His defense has focused on presenting mitigating factors across all counts. His surviving relatives were called to testify about the family's long-standing mental and financial difficulties, attributing them to his mother's extensive donations to the Unification Church (UC), which had impoverished the household and resulted in neglect of her children. The defense also argued that the homemade firearms constructed by Yamagami did not fall under the legal definition of a firearm as stipulated in the Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law. They demanded a fixed 20-year imprisonment.
Prosecutors maintained that Yamagami's personal background should not influence the verdict. They presented evidence that he had put substantial effort into constructing and testing his weapons, arguing this demonstrated clear premeditation. They also emphasized the danger posed to the public by carrying out the shooting in daylight in a crowded area. Noting that the killing of a former prime minister had no precedent in postwar Japan, prosecutors characterized the case as exceptionally serious and socially consequential. They sought a sentence of life imprisonment for the defendant. Yamagami was sentenced to life in prison on 21 January 2026. Yamagami's defense filed an appeal with the high court on 4 February 2026.
Timeline 8 July 2022 – Tetsuya Yamagami used a homemade firearm to shoot Shinzo Abe while Abe was delivering a campaign speech near the north exit of Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara, Japan. Yamagami was immediately restrained by security personnel and arrested. He was first held at the Nara Nishi Police Station, then later transferred to the Osaka Detention House. Initially charged with attempted murder, the charge was upgraded to murder after Abe was pronounced dead later the same day. 24 December 2022 – a psychiatric evaluation of Yamagami was completed, determining that he was competent to stand trial. 10 January 2023 – Yamagami was transferred back to the Nara Nishi Police Station. Prosecutors added a charge of violating the Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law. 30 March 2023 – two additional charges were filed: violations of the Weapon Manufacturing Law and property damage. 28 October 2025 – the first-instance trial began at the Nara District Court.
Background
On 8 July 2022, former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in Nara. He was shot at close range with a homemade firearm constructed by Tetsuya Yamagami, who was immediately detained at the scene. Abe's death marked the first killing of a current or former Japanese prime minister in the postwar era. Following his arrest, Yamagami reportedly told investigators that his motive stemmed from resentment toward the Unification Church (UC), claiming that his family had been financially ruined by his mother's large donations to the organization. According to police statements and media reports, Yamagami believed Abe's public appearances at events linked to the UC signaled support for the group, which he held responsible for his family's hardships.
First-instance trial First-day hearing Officially, the first-instance trial is registered as "Reiwa 5 (wa) No.7" (令和5年（わ）第7号), held under Japan's lay judge system, and the presiding judge was Shinichi Tanaka (田中 伸一). The trial admitted civilian spectators through a lottery system, with the first-day hearing on 28 October 2025 drawing 727 applicants for 32 available seats. Yamagami, 45, did not dispute the charges listed in the indictments, then stated that he was entrusting the legal arguments to his lawyers.
The prosecution outlined Yamagami's stated motives: Yamagami's mother made excessive donations to the Unification Church (UC), which led to the family's financial collapse. After his eldest brother died by suicide in 2015, Yamagami's resentment toward the UC intensified. He planned to attack leading figures of the UC and began constructing homemade firearms. Due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, he abandoned this initial plan. After watching Shinzo Abe's video message for a UC-related organization, he came to believe that targeting Abe would raise public criticism of the UC, and he began tracking Abe's schedule during the House of Councillors election campaign. The prosecution emphasized that the crime was unprecedented in postwar Japan.
Witnesses for the prosecution Kei Satō Kei Satō was the candidate in the upcoming election who received Abe's endorsement speech on the day of the assassination. On 29 October, He testified that he had been informed by his aides on the afternoon of the previous day that Abe's campaign appearance at Yamato-Saidaiji Station had been hastily finalised. Satō was standing less than one metre from Abe when he heard the first shot. Satō condemned Yamagami's act as an attempt to silence speech through violence, describing it as an unforgivable affront to democracy.
Police officer A On 30 October, the police officer deployed to Yamato-Saidaiji Station for security testified that he witnessed Yamagami use a firearm resembling a bazooka to shoot at Abe a second time. When he rushed in and restrained Yamagami, he heard the suspect murmur "did that hit (当たったか)?" He testified that Yamagami offered no resistance during the arrest.
Police officer B On 4 November, the police officer assigned to investigate the shooting scene testified that a total of 12 projectiles were discharged in the two shots fired by Yamagami. Video evidence showed the hair of a man standing behind Abe being pushed upward, indicating that Yamagami's shots had a significant chance of striking bystanders.
Police officer C On 5 November, the police officer assigned to search Yamagami's residence testified that investigators found items including six homemade firearms, telescopic sights, cartridge cases, more than 20 kg of gunpowder stored in metal or plastic containers, and books related to murder. He described Yamagami's room as resembling a terrorist hideout.
Yamagami's firearms On 6 November, the prosecution presented in court the homemade firearm used in the assassination. Investigators conducted test-firing and measured a projectile speed of about 720 kilometres per hour, with the shot capable of penetrating four plywood boards. They stated that the weapon produced more than ten times the energy required to kill a person or animal. The prosecution also showed laboratory video footage demonstrating that the trajectories of all six projectiles dispersed widely upon firing. The defense argued that the weight, shape, and other characteristics of Yamagami's firearm did not meet the statutory definition of a firearm under the Firearm and Sword Control Law.
Witnesses for the defense Yamagami's mother On 13 November, Yamagami's mother made her first appearance as a witness for the defense. Her physical appearance was concealed by portable partitions from the gallery. She stated that she felt deep remorse upon learning of her son's involvement in the assassination. Unable to apologize directly, she instead offered a public apology in court. She testified that in August 1991 a young female Unification Church (UC) follower approached her at her doorstep, requested access to her family registry, and lured her to a UC facility, leading to her becoming a follower. She was told by the UC that her husband's suicide and her eldest son's chronic illness were the result of humanity's downfall, which could be redeemed only through monetary donations. She made an initial contribution of 20 million yen, followed by another 30 million yen eight months later, funded by her late husband's life insurance payout. She was further told that her husband would not rest peacefully because he had died by suicide, and she was persuaded to make an additional 10 million yen donation. Since joining the UC, she began traveling to the church's headquarters in South Korea and purchasing UC-related merchandise such as paintings and vases. After the death of her father (Yamagami's maternal grandfather) in 1998, who had been living with them, she sold the family home for 40 million yen and donated the entire amount to the UC. She refused to let Yamagami attend university because she prioritized making further donations for the sake of her suicidal eldest son.
On 18 November, she testified in court for the second time. She stated that after selling the family home, she lied to her children by telling them that the proceeds were used to repay loans for the family business. Yamagami believed her explanation and joined the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) four years later to help support the family financially. During his 3-year service in the JMSDF, she made seven trips to South Korea. She accumulated approximately 10 million yen in loans from banks and consumer finance companies and declared bankruptcy in 2002. When Yamagami attempted suicide in 2005, she was in South Korea. The attempt was not life-threatening, and she was instructed not to return to Japan immediately, which she obeyed. Yamagami's paternal uncle (Tōichirō Yamagami), after learning of Yamagami's suicide attempt, protested against the UC and demanded refunds of her donations. Until 2015, they received periodic refunds from the UC totaling 50 million yen. Her eldest son died by suicide that same year. When asked by the defense about the causes of the incident, she responded: "I think I am the one responsible for the damages (加害者). I kept donating and neglected my children. I thought things would turn out better if I devoted myself to the church." When asked whether she was considering leaving the church, she avoided giving a direct answer, stating, "That is not something I can answer here." Prosecutors questioned her about the 50 million yen portion of her approximately 100 million yen in donations that had been refunded by the UC, to which she responded that the refund process had been extremely painful. She said she was aware that Abe's grandfather (Nobusuke Kishi) and father Shintarō Abe had some connection to the UC, although she did not know the extent of the relationship. When asked whether she believed the assassination had been unavoidable, she denied this. She stated that "perhaps Tetsuya wanted to help other people in similar circumstances. Abe might not have died had I not ruined Tetsuya's life." During a recess in the hearing, she spoke directly to Yamagami, saying, "Te-chan, I'm sorry."
Yamagami's younger sister Before the trial began, Yamagami's younger sister had been the only family member he agreed to meet during detention. She testified for the first time on 18 November, also shielded from the gallery by partitions, similar to her mother.
She stated that she had never spoken about her childhood to anyone prior to the trial, explaining that the memories were so painful she would cry whenever she recalled them and had long wished to forget them. She recounted that when she suffered from a high fever, their mother neglected her to attend religious activities instead; that even after their grandfather's death, their mother insisted on making further donations. She had believed the siblings would have been better off placed in a children's home.