Shooter of Japan ex-prime minister Abe replies to NHK in written interview

The man sentenced to life in prison for killing former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo told NHK that the attack would not have happened without the influence of the religious group widely known as the Unification Church.

Yamagami Tetsuya made the claim in a written interview earlier this month. He received a life sentence in January for fatally shooting Abe with a handmade gun in July 2022 during an election speech. The defense has appealed.

During his trial, Yamagami apologized but said his mother's devotion to the group and her large donations ruined his family.

Asked what support system might have prevented the situation, Yamagami said none exists, adding that the attack would not have occurred without the Unification Church and that the group would not have been seen as problematic if circumstances had remained unchanged.

The court ruled that Yamagami chose violence instead of legal options and rejected the argument that his past experiences significantly influenced his actions. Yamagami countered in the interview that it is unreasonable to expect one person to find a solution.

He also commented on the Tokyo High Court's recent order for the group to dissolve, saying he felt relieved and calling it a partial solution and a milestone. He wrote that interim restrictions could prevent problems from escalating before authorities resort to extreme measures including making them dissolve.

Sakurai Yoshihide, a specially appointed professor at Hokkaido University who spent more than 10 hours speaking with Yamagami, says what matters to Yamagami is whether or not the group can be held accountable not only for the financial harm it caused but also for religion-related abuses and the deprivation of opportunities he could otherwise have had in his early life.