A man accused of killing former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, told a court in Tokyo that everything is true, according to local media.
Yamagami used a homemade gun to shoot Abe during a campaign event in the city of Nara in 2022.
Abe, known for his hawkish foreign policy and the economic strategy 'Abenomics,' was struck multiple times and died in the hospital the same day, causing a global shock.
The assassination highlighted connections between Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church, often referred to as the 'Moonies.'
Yamagami reportedly targeted Abe over his belief that the former leader’s promotion of the church bankrupted his mother, who he claimed donated large sums to it.
This controversy led to investigations into the church and the resignation of four ministers. A Tokyo court has since ordered the church's disbandment, stripping it of tax-exempt status.
Despite this, Yamagami's mother remains steadfast in her faith, stating that the assassination has strengthened her beliefs.
The trial is expected to conclude in January, with Yamagami denying charges related to violating firearms control laws, arguing the homemade weapon did not fit the legal definition.
In response to Abe's assassination, Japan has tightened its laws governing homemade firearms, seeking to curtail gun violence in a country that typically experiences very low levels of such incidents.
