Abe’s Assassin Apologizes to Widow in Court

Tetsuya Yamagami, who assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022, apologized in court to Abe’s widow, Akie, expressing remorse for the suffering he caused. He said he attacked Abe over his alleged ties to the Unification Church, which he claimed harmed his family financially. The assassination led to scrutiny of the church, and a Tokyo court later ordered it to disband. Abe’s widow stated her sorrow over losing her husband remains unchanged.

Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, apologized to Abe’s widow, Akie, in court on Thursday, expressing deep remorse for the pain he caused the family. Yamagami, who had previously pleaded guilty to murder, told the court, "I have caused the family three and a half years of suffering... I have no excuse," according to local media reports.

Yamagami used a homemade gun to shoot Abe during a political campaign event in Nara on 8 July 2022. Abe died later that day in the hospital, a loss that sent shockwaves across Japan and around the world. Abe was widely known for his hawkish foreign policy and his signature economic strategy, popularly called "Abenomics."

In his statements to investigators, Yamagami said he targeted Abe because he blamed the former prime minister for promoting the Unification Church, which Yamagami claimed had financially ruined his mother and family. These allegations sparked increased scrutiny and investigations into the church, which originated in South Korea and is known for its mass weddings. In March this year, a Tokyo court ordered the church to disband, a decision the organization has vowed to challenge.

The Unification Church has been controversial in Japan even before Abe’s assassination, largely because of its teachings that place spiritual significance on marriage. Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, also a former prime minister, was known to maintain close ties with the church due to its anti-communist stance, and Abe himself had appeared at church-related events. During a recent hearing, prosecutors read a statement from Abe’s widow in which she said, "The sorrow of losing a husband will not be relieved," underscoring the enduring grief of the family.

Yamagami’s apology marks the first time he has directly addressed the family in court, highlighting the human dimension of a case that has had lasting political and social repercussions in Japan.