Overview
- On the first day of trial, Tetsuya Yamagami admitted killing Shinzo Abe and told the court, “Everything is true.”
- His lawyers said they will contest weapons-related counts under the Firearms and Swords Control Act and the Ordnance Manufacturing Act while acknowledging the murder.
- The Nara District Court scheduled 18 hearings by year-end, with a verdict set for January 21, 2026.
- Investigators and prosecutors say they found no evidence of third‑party involvement, and the defense also rejects claims of multiple participants despite ongoing online conspiracy theories.
- Reporting ties Yamagami’s motive to his mother’s large donations to the Unification Church, an episode that drove political fallout over LDP links, tougher 2024 controls on homemade guns, and a March 2025 court order to dissolve the church’s Japan arm.