The trial for Yamagami Tetsuya, who is charged with the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, began on October 28.

Yamagami stands accused of shooting and killing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a homemade firearm during a campaign speech in Nara in 2022.

During police questioning, Yamagami said that his mother became deeply involved with the Unification Church, making substantial donations that disrupted family life.

He also said that he resolved to kill former Prime Minister Abe after seeing a message Abe had sent to church officials.

The first hearing of the trial, which is being heard by lay judges at the Nara District Court, began at 2:00PM.

After the charges were read out during the hearing, Yamagami said that all the facts concerning the murder charges were true and admitted to them.

The defense intends to seek leniency for Yamagami by arguing that his family broke down due to his mother’s donations, with his mother and a religious scholar scheduled to appear as defense witnesses.

The defense also argued that the homemade firearm Yamagami used in the crime should not be subject to the same “firing offence” provisions as pistols under the Firearms and Sword Control Act.

The trial will have a maximum of 19 hearings, with the verdict scheduled to be handed down on January 21, 2026.