TOKYO, JAPAN – Tetsuya Yamagami, the man charged with the high-profile 2022 assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, offered his first public apology to the late leader’s family this week, nearly three and a half years after the deadly shooting that shook global politics. During a court appearance on Thursday, December 5, 2025, Yamagami expressed profound remorse, specifically directing his apology toward Abe’s widow, Akie Abe, acknowledging the enduring pain the family suffered since the attack in Nara.
Yamagami, who has formally admitted guilt to the murder charge, stated he had “caused the family three and a half years of suffering” and admitted that he had “no excuse” for his actions, according to reports from local Japanese media covering the proceedings.
The Context of the Assassination
Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was fatally shot with a homemade firearm on July 8, 2022, while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. His death sent shockwaves across the international community, given his influential role in defining Japan’s modern trajectory through his hawkish foreign policy and his landmark economic strategy, widely known as “Abenomics.”
The motivations behind the killing quickly surfaced during the initial investigation. Yamagami reportedly told interrogators that his target stemmed from a deep-seated grievance related to the Unification Church. He alleged that the former prime minister had promoted the South Korea-founded religious organization, which Yamagami claimed had financially ruined his mother and family through significant donations.
These allegations spurred widespread public scrutiny and prompted official government inquiries into the activities of the Unification Church, which is widely recognized for its large-scale mass wedding ceremonies and historical, often controversial, fundraising methods.
Controversy and Legal Fallout
The church, officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, has long faced controversy, including criticisms regarding its teachings that link spiritual salvation directly to marriage. The connection between the political elite and the Unification Church was not new; Abe’s grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, reportedly maintained ties due to shared anti-communist principles, and Abe himself had previously participated in events associated with the group.
The fallout from the assassination resulted in significant legal action against the organization. In a landmark decision in March [2025], a Tokyo court ordered the Unification Church to dissolve, a ruling the organization has vowed to appeal and contest legally.
During a previous court hearing last month, prosecutors presented a poignant victim impact statement from Akie Abe. She conveyed the immense, unrelieved sorrow of losing her husband, emphasizing that the familial grief remains raw and permanent.
Yamagami’s apology marks a pivotal, yet complicated, moment in the legal proceedings surrounding one of Japan’s most politically consequential murders in modern history. While the suspect offered remorse, the statements confirm the enduring, irreparable anguish felt by the Abe family and underscore the broader societal and legal reckoning with the connections between religious organizations and political power in Japan.