Abe assassin hints brother’s suicide was watershed event

Asahi
February 5, 2026

Tetsuya Yamagami leaves a police station in Nara in July 2022. (Asahi photo

OSAKA—Tetsuya Yamagami indicated that the suicide of his older brother was the catalyst for his plans to assassinate former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over his connections to the Unification Church.

Yamagami, 45, who has been convicted of murder and other crimes in the fatal shooting of Abe in July 2022, made the remark during an interview with The Asahi Shimbun at the Osaka Detention House on Feb. 4.

He has been sentenced to life in prison.

Asked how he accepted the Nara District Court’s ruling, Yamagami said, “If my brother had not died, I would probably have been living an ordinary life.”

Yamagami has said his mother’s huge donations to the church, now formally called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, ruined his family.

His older brother, who had also opposed their mother’s donations to the church, killed himself in 2015.

Yamagami’s anger toward the church is believed to have intensified after his brother’s suicide.

When asked whether the attack against Abe could have been prevented, he remained silent for a while before answering that “there was no point” at which it could have been stopped.

In sentencing Yamagami to life in prison on Jan. 21, the district court concluded there was a “major leap” between his upbringing and the shooting of Abe.

Yamagami’s defense lawyers filed an appeal with the Osaka High Court on Feb. 4.

The Asahi Shimbun made repeated requests to interview Yamagami following the district court ruling. This was the first time he agreed to meet.

When the Asahi reporters entered a visiting room, Yamagami was escorted in by a correctional officer on the other side of an acrylic partition.

He was dressed in a black sweatshirt and gray pants and wore a flu mask. His hair had grown to shoulder length.

The 20-minute interview began after both sides exchanged greetings and took their seats.

Yamagami held a copy of a newspaper article about the attack against Abe. It was filled with handwritten notes.

He began by explaining his family’s involvement with people connected to the Unification Church, which his mother had joined.

He also described the life sentence from his trial as “not what my defense had intended.”

The reporters asked about his defense team’s move to challenge that sentence.

“I cannot comment on the appeal,” he said, adding that doing so could affect the high court proceedings.

After Abe’s death, the Unification Church’s ties with politicians came under scrutiny again.

The government also investigated complaints about the church’s financial practices, including its collection of donations from followers.

Based on the results of the investigation, the Tokyo District Court last March issued a dissolution order against the organization.

Asked whether he had anticipated such changes in society, Yamagami said, “Things in this world do not always go the way you would expect.”

On many questions, he carefully chose his words.

When asked about other children of church followers who faced similar circumstances, he said, “I believe the church should properly return the donations it received.”

Asked if he had a message for society now, he said, “Nothing from me.”

After the verdict, Yamagami spoke with a journalist knowledgeable about issues surrounding the church and thanked those who had sent him items at the detention house.

When the allotted time for the interview expired, Yamagami stood from his seat. As a correctional officer opened the door, Yamagami stepped outside, bowed briefly toward the reporters, and left.

(This article was written by Ko Sendo and Kengo Ichihara.)

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RULING ON CHURCH DISSOLUTION ORDER ON MARCH 4

The Tokyo High Court on March 4 will decide on the Unification Church’s appeal against the Tokyo District Court’s dissolution order, according to sources.

The district court determined that the church had continued with its illicit activities despite pledging to break from unlawful donation tactics in a compliance declaration in 2009.

The organization filed an immediate appeal, arguing that the requirements for a dissolution order had not been met.

At the high court, the church presented evidence claiming it had thoroughly complied with laws and regulations after the declaration.

Closed-door proceedings at the high court concluded in November.

If the dissolution order is upheld, liquidation procedures will begin for the church. A court-appointed liquidator will investigate and manage the group’s assets and proceed with compensation to victims, among other steps demise over donations