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Japan: Ex-Prime Minister Abe's Killer Sentenced to Life

Japan: Ex-Prime Minister Abe's AssassinKiller Sentenced to Life in Japanese Prison

Japan: Ex-Prime Minister Abe's Killer Sentenced to Life
Above: Tetsuya Yamagami (R) leaves the Nara Nishi police station on July 10, 2022. Image credit: STR/JIJI Press/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

The assassination of Shinzo Abe was an unprecedented, premeditated murder that deserves the harshest punishment. Yamagami spent years meticulously crafting weapons and planning this attack, demonstrating clear criminal intent that resulted in extremely serious consequences for Japanese society. This calculated killing of the nation's longest-serving leader represents the most significant postwar crime and demands life imprisonment.

Yamagami's tragic upbringing, marked by religious abuse and family devastation caused by the Unification Church, created circumstances demanding judicial consideration. His mother's ruinous donations bankrupted the family, forcing him to abandon education and ultimately leading to his brother's suicide and his own suicide attempt. The assassination exposed corrupt ties between the church and ruling party politicians, vindicating his desperate attempt to draw attention to institutional wrongdoing.

Metaculus Prediction

There's a 50% chance that the LDP will lose its status as the largest party in the House of Representatives of Japan in July 2042, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.18.0