• Tetsuya Yamagami sentenced to life for killing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
• Abe's murder in 2022 ignited national debate on ties between politicians and the Unification Church.
• The court highlighted the unprecedented nature of the crime in post-war Japan.
• Yamagami's defense cited his troubled past linked to the Unification Church.
• Public interest in the trial was significant, reflecting the impact of Abe's assassination.

Tetsuya Yamagami, who fatally shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a campaign speech on July 8, 2022, was sentenced to life in prison by a Nara court on January 21, 2026. The assassination shocked Japan, a country with rare occurrences of gun violence, and raised profound questions about the social ramifications following Abe's death. Prosecutors labeled the act "unprecedented in our post-war history," emphasizing its serious consequences for society. The court's ruling was anticipated following Yamagami's admission of guilt at the trial's outset, where he was charged with murder and firearms violations for using a homemade gun, according to BBC and Channel News Asia.

During the trial, Yamagami expressed a deep-seated grudge against the Unification Church, blaming them for financial ruin caused by his mother's donations. His mother had contributed approximately 100 million yen to the church, resulting in significant hardship for the family. Advocates for Yamagami pointed out that he was a victim of "religious abuse," which they argued should mitigate his punishment. However, prosecutors contended that his motivation to kill Abe was misguided and emphasized the premeditated nature of the attack, given that Yamagami had spent months crafting the firearm used in the assassination. This complex narrative between personal tragedy and public violence underscored the trial's emotional weight, noted South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.

The assassination of Abe not only shook the nation but also revealed closely held ties between the Unification Church and numerous members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), leading to public disillusionment with the party. Following an internal investigation, several ministers resigned amid the fallout from these revelations. Abe, despite not being in power at the time of his death, remained an influential figure within the LDP, which has faced difficulties in maintaining leadership stability in his absence, as pointed out by Channel News Asia and Channel News Asia.