The man accused of assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe admitted to the charges in a central Japan court on Tuesday, according to Japan state public broadcaster NHK.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, was arrested at the scene of the 2022 shooting and charged with murder and violating Japan’s swords and firearms control law. “Everything was done by me, and there is no mistake,” he told the court, NHK reported.
The hearing marked the start of Yamagami’s trial, with a verdict expected on January 21, NHK added.
Shinzo Abe (1954–2022) was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, leading the country from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. A conservative figure, he championed economic reforms known as “Abenomics” and pushed to expand Japan’s military role abroad. Abe was assassinated in 2022 while campaigning in Nara.
Yamagami reportedly blamed Abe for his ties to the “Unification Church”, a religious group he accused of ruining his family financially after his mother donated about 100 million yen (around $660,000) to the organization, according to Japanese local media.
