Trial of former PM Abe's accused killer expected to begin on Oct 28
The trial of a man accused of assassinating former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 is expected to begin on Oct 28, sources at the Nara District Court said on Thursday.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 44, is accused of fatally shooting Abe with a homemade gun while he gave a speech at an election campaign rally in front of Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara City on July 8, 2022.
The trial is expected to be heard by lay judges, NHK reported. So far, six "pretrial arrangement procedures" have been conducted since October 2023, in which the court, prosecutors and defense team narrowed down the evidence and issues to be raised. A seventh procedure is scheduled to take place on May 27.
Yamagami has told police that he shot Abe out of a growing resentment toward the World Peace Unification Family (formerly the Unification Church), to which his mother had made large donations 20 years earlier. He said he targeted Abe because of his perceived links to the church.
Yamagami has also been indicted on charges of violating the Weapons Manufacturing Act, the Explosives Control Act, as well as the Swords and Firearms Control Act for manufacturing multiple guns and gunpowder without a license.
A psychiatric evaluation of Yamagami concluded last June that he was mentally fit to be held criminally responsible for his actions. The defense did not contest the results of the evaluation.
The trial is expected to last about three months with a verdict likely in January 2026.
© Japan Today
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
3 days ago
10-Yr Sentence Sought for U.S. Marine in Okinawa for Sexual Assault
News from Japan Jun 9, 2025 15:23 (JST) Naha, Okinawa Pref., June 9 (Jiji Press)--Japanese prosecutors on Monday sought a 10-year prison term for U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, for nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury to a woman in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan. At Naha District Court on the day, the defense reiterated a plea of not guilty. The court is scheduled to hand down a ruling on June 24. During the first court hearing of his trial on June 2, Clayton claimed he was innocent, saying that he did not choke or injure the woman and that he did nothing that would raise suspicion. In their closing arguments on Monday, prosecutors said that the woman's testimony was trustworthy because it was consistent with objective evidence, and criticized Clayton's "egoistic" motive, which was "just to satisfy his sexual desire." Meanwhile, the defense side said that the testimony could not be trusted and emphasized his innocence. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Tokyo Reported
4 days ago
- Tokyo Reported
Saitama family sold elephant ivory as ‘mammoth tusks'
SAITAMA (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested the former president of a sales company in Soka City and three members of his family for selling ivory, the trade of which is regulated by the Washington Convention and other treaties, reports NHK (June 4). According to police, Nobumasa Daigo, the 58-year-old former president of Daigo Ivory Store, falsely labeling the merchandise as 'mammoth tusks,' which are not subject to legal restrictions. Between 2022 and the year before last, the four suspects are alleged to have falsely labeled ivory products and sold them for a total of just over 120,000 yen on an internet auction site. In addition, although the company was a 'registered business' that handled ivory products, it is also suspected of not creating a 'record sheet' that is required when processing ivory. During questioning, all of the suspects admitted to violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act. Daigo stated, 'I thought it was just like littering a cigarette.' He went on, 'Auction sites are often seen by customers, so they sell well. To avoid having the listings cancelled, we sold them under labels such as 'mammoth.' We made about 100 million yen a year.' Daigo and his accomplices are believed to have manufactured the ivory products in a workshop in Soka. The company made at least 190 million yen on auction sites. Police are continuing the investigation, believing the suspects engaged in repeated illegal transactions. Nobumasa Daigo (X) Japan's ivory market and mammoth tusks According to the Ministry of the Environment, mammoth tusks are similar in quality to ivory. When processed, they are very difficult to distinguish. Elephants are designated as internationally endangered wild animals. As a result, international trade and the import and export of ivory has been prohibited in principle since 1990 under the Washington Convention. However, in Japan, domestic trading is only permitted for businesses that have been registered in advance. Buying and selling is permitted only if the tusks are managed in accordance with legal regulations, such as registering manufacturing and sales businesses with the government and creating management tables. The target is ivory and processed products that were legally imported in the past. According to the Ministry of the Environment, at least 740 tons of legally imported ivory is thought to have been processed into seals, ornaments and other items and sold. In addition, mammoth tusks, which have a similar material to ivory and are not subject to legal restrictions. They are imported as a substitute for ivory, which has resulted in many cases of ivory products being sold as if they are made from mammoth tusks. Masayuki Sakamoto, a lawyer and secretary general of the nonprofit organization Tiger & Elephant Conservation Fund, said, 'Demand for ivory remains high in Asia, especially in China, and the legal market in Japan has ultimately become a breeding ground for illegal exports. It has been pointed out that mammoth tusks and ivory are similar and are serving as a cover for ivory smuggling, so the nature of regulations is being called into question.'
Tokyo Reported
4 days ago
- Tokyo Reported
Manhunt underway over stabbing of Chinese tourist in Kyoto
KYOTO (TR) – Kyoto Prefectural Police are hunting for a man who stabbed a male Chinese tourist in Kyoto City. Police are investigating the case as attempted murder, reports NHK (June 7). Around 8:00 p.m. on June 6, the assailant stabbed the Chinese man, 37, with what appeared to be a knife on a street in Shimogyo Ward. He then fled the scene. According to the police, the victim suffered injures from his neck down to around one of his sides. He taken to a hospital in a conscious state. His life is not in danger, police said. The victim was visiting Kyoto City on a sightseeing trip. After eating at a restaurant near the scene, he got into an argument with the man on the street for some reason. The man then stabbed him. The perpetrator stands about 175 centimeters tall. He was wearing glasses and a white T-shirt. The two men did not know each other before the incident. Police are seeking the whereabouts of the man on suspicion of attempted murder. Police are also investigating the circumstances that led to the incident. The incident occurred in a corner of an area lined with hotels and apartment buildings near Keihan Electric Railway's Shimizu-Gojo Station.
