Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Shooter Appears Emotionless in Court during Sentencing

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:52 JST, January 22, 2026

Tetsuya Yamagami did not seem to show any emotion as the Nara District Court on Wednesday sentenced him to life in prison for fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.

Three and a half years after the incident in which Abe, then 67, was shot in front of a crowd, the court handed down a life sentence to Yamagami, 45, for murder and other charges, in line with prosecutors’ demands.

Yamagami, who had spoken about his pent-up feelings toward the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, during the trial, left the courtroom quietly on Wednesday. His expression did not seem to change while in the room.

Eyes down

At 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom No. 101, the largest at the Nara District Court, Yamagami, with his long hair tied back, sat in the witness stand after bowing. He remained motionless with his eyes cast downward, even as the sentence was handed down.

During the trial, he spoke dispassionately about his troubled upbringing and the events leading up to the crime, including his mother making massive donations to the religious group, his family falling apart and his brother’s suicide.

The reading of the sentencing lasted 75 minutes. Yamagami appeared to show no emotion during that time. After the court adjourned, he left the courtroom with his eyes down, never looking up at other people.

According to his defense team, he appeared calm during a meeting after the sentencing.

Court cites Akie’s suffering

Abe’s wife, Akie, 63, did not appear in court on Wednesday but released a statement through her lawyer.

“I feel that the long period of days since my husband’s sudden death has come to a close of sorts,” it read.

After expressing her gratitude to the police, prosecutors, judges and lay judges, she concluded by saying, “I will continue to stay positive, carry on my husband’s will and cherish each day.”

As one of the reasons for the life sentence, the court cited that Akie “suffers a great sense of loss over her husband’s death,” noting that her feelings are understandable.

Hiroyuki Omae, deputy chief prosecutor of the Nara District Public Prosecutors’ Office, welcomed the outcome, saying, “We believe that our arguments regarding both the facts and sentencing were accepted.”

Considering an appeal

Yamagami’s defense team said at a press conference that it is considering an appeal.

“It is disappointing that our argument that his upbringing was directly linked to the crime was not accepted,” said Yamagami’s lawyer Kohei Matsumoto. “We made every effort to prove the psychological state of a child of a [religious group] follower, but it was not enough.”