The man who assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been sentenced to life imprisonment. On January 21, 2026, the Nara District Court in Japan handed down a life sentence to Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, for the murder of Shinzo Abe.
The verdict came after a trial that began in October 2025, where Yamagami pleaded guilty to the charges, including murder and violations of Japan’s strict gun control laws. Judge Shinichi Tanaka described Yamagami’s actions as “despicable and extremely malicious,” noting that he shot Abe from behind when he was least expecting it. Yamagami showed little emotion in court during the sentencing.
The assassination occurred on July 8, 2022, during an election campaign speech in the western city of Nara. Tetsuya Yamagami shot Shinzo Abe with a homemade firearm from behind while the former prime minister was addressing supporters. Abe, Japan’s longest-serving leader, was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. The brazen attack in broad daylight shocked Japan, a country with extremely low rates of gun violence.
Yamagami’s motive stemmed from a deep-seated grudge against the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies, a controversial religious group. He blamed the organisation for his family’s financial ruin after his mother made massive donations, leading to bankruptcy. Yamagami believed Abe had ties to the church through political affiliations, which he claimed indirectly contributed to his family’s suffering.
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, describing the act as “unprecedented in Japan’s postwar history”. They did not pursue the death penalty, which in Japan is typically reserved for cases involving multiple victims or particularly heinous patterns of crime. The defence argued for a more lenient term, citing Yamagami’s difficult upbringing and family circumstances, but the court rejected this.
Yamagami was arrested at the scene in 2022 and has remained in custody since. His legal team said they will consult with the defendant to decide whether to appeal the verdict, which must be filed within two weeks under Japan’s legal system.
