The man who killed Abe Shinzo, a former prime minister of Japan, on July 8th 2022. He shot Abe twice at a campaign event in Nara using a bizarre homemade weapon constructed from pipes and duct tape.
His father committed suicide when he was a child. His mother, seeking solace, joined the Unification Church and donated some ¥100m ($650,000) to the group, allegedly bankrupting the family. (The church says it returned half the money.) His older brother also committed suicide. Yamagami sought revenge against the church but, unable to get close enough to its leader, targeted Abe after seeing that the former prime minister had sent a congratulatory video message to a church-affiliated event.
His trial began on October 28th 2025. Now 45, he admitted to the crime. The trial turns mostly on the question of punishment. In theory he could face the death penalty. The defence argues that he deserves leniency both because the homemade weapon does not meet the definition of a gun under Japanese law, and because of his troubled background. A panel of lay judges will play an important role; a verdict is expected early in 2026.
While many Japanese condemned the act, a surprisingly large number showed sympathy for Yamagami and his motive. The assassination accomplished what he wanted: it exposed the Unification Church's ties to the political establishment and led the government to try to strip the church of its religious status. Sociologist Ushiyama Rin of Queen's University Belfast draws parallels with the case of Luigi Mangione, who became a folk hero in America after being accused of killing the boss of UnitedHealthcare in December 2024. In both cases, distaste for what the victim represented apparently exceeded revulsion at the act of murder for a vocal minority.
The case has highlighted the risk of isolated individuals, mired in despair, turning to violence. Despite Japan's low crime rate, lone-offender attacks are increasingly seen as a threat. In 2021 a man dressed as the Joker attacked passengers on a Tokyo train, stabbing 17 people. In 2025 Japan's police set up their first unit specialising in lone-offender attacks.
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