Wednesday, October 29, 2025-Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has pleaded guilty to murder in a case that shocked Japan and reverberated around the world.
The court heard that Yamagami admitted to fatally shooting Abe during a campaign speech in Nara in 2022, using a homemade firearm. Prosecutors described the act as premeditated and politically motivated, while defense lawyers argued that Yamagami acted out of deep personal resentment toward a religious group he claimed had ruined his family financially.
The guilty plea has reignited national debate over gun control, mental health, and the influence of religious organizations in Japanese politics. Public sentiment remains divided: some sympathize with Yamagami’s grievances against the group, while others insist that no motive can justify an act of political violence.
Social media has been flooded with emotional reactions, ranging from sorrow for Abe’s family to renewed scrutiny of how the Unification Church’s ties with politicians shaped Japan’s political landscape.
Legal experts say the verdict, expected in the coming months, could bring closure to a nation still grappling with the legacy of its most shocking political assassination in decades. The case has already prompted reforms in police protection for public figures and tighter surveillance on extremist threats.
As Japan confronts the painful memory of Abe’s death, the trial of his killer serves as both a reckoning with one man’s rage and a reflection of broader tensions simmering beneath the country’s calm exterior.
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