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July 12, 2026
 

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SHINZO ABE

The Nara District Court where Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, is on trial for the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe's wife, Akie, attended the trial on Wednesday for the first time.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 4, 2025
Man accused of shooting Abe apologizes to former PM’s widow and family
Describing his actions as inexcusable, Tetsuya Yamagami said they caused pain to the former prime minister’s family even though he held no grudge against them.
Mataro's <i>kawaribina</i> dolls, reflecting notable people and events of 2025, on display in Tokyo on Thursday
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2025
Dolls featuring iconic figures and events from 2025 showcased in Tokyo
Among the featured kawaribina dolls were those of Ichiro Suzuki, 52, who was inducted into the baseball halls of fame in both Japan and the United States.
A court sketch shows Tetsuya Yamagami standing in trial in his first questioning session at the Nara District Court on Nov. 20.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 26, 2025
Abe shooter says ‘despair and sense of crisis’ triggered 2022 attack
Tetsuya Yamagami explained how he came to view the politician as a friend of the Unification Church and the urgency he felt to stop their interactions.
An illustration of Tetsuya Yamagami (left) being questioned by his lawyer on Thursday at the Nara District Court
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 21, 2025
‘I should not have lived this long,’ man accused of killing Abe tells court
Describing his troubled upbringing and the misery caused by his mother’s devotion to the Unification Church, Tetsuya Yamagami expressed regret.
China is using threats, diplomatic pressure, economic measures and manufactured media narratives to attack new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and influence Japanese politics.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 20, 2025
Seeking good relations with Xi’s CCP is a fool’s errand
China has a history of favoring Japanese leaders, going back at least to Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka in the 1970s, who are inclined to comply with its “red lines.”
The mother of the man on trial for the 2022 killing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the Nara District Court that she feels responsible for her son’s actions.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 19, 2025
Even after Abe’s death, suspect’s mother stays faithful to Unification Church
The church’s influence on Tetsuya Yamagami’s family has become a focal point of his trial, as a grudge he said he held against it had led him to target the prime minister.
"I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart for the terrible crime committed by my second son, Tetsuya," the mother of Tetsuya Yamagami, who is charged with the 2022 murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said at the start of her testimony Thursday at the seventh hearing of his lay-judge trial at Nara District Court.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 14, 2025
Mother of Abe shooter Yamagami apologizes in court
“I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart for the terrible crime committed by my second son, Tetsuya,” said the mother, a follower of the Unification Church.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comments that a Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan would constitute a threat to Japan have drawn criticism from China and even in some circles domestically.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 13, 2025
Takaichi and a shift in ‘strategic ambiguity’ over Taiwan
Takaichi’s statement points out the obvious: That if a conflict over Taiwan involves the use of force, it could become a “crisis situation” that threatens the nation’s survival.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions from lawmakers at the Diet in Tokyo on Tuesday.
EDITORIALS
Nov 7, 2025
Domestic issues dominate prime minister’s strong Diet debut
It was a solid performance that was, not surprisingly given her minority government and the new coalition that she heads, short on details.
Shiori Ito at the National Board of Review Awards Gala in New York in January
JAPAN / Society
Nov 7, 2025
Shiori Ito’s documentary to be finally screened in Japan next month
The Japanese release of “Black Box Diaries” includes revisions, although it’s not clear precisely what edits have been made.
A police witness told Nara District Court on Thursday that all seven guns made by Tetsuya Yamagami, charged with murdering former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, were lethal.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 7, 2025
Police witness says Abe shooter’s homemade guns were all lethal
The witness is a researcher at the Nara prefectural police department’s forensic laboratory who analyzed the homemade guns.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim at the opening of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
EDITORIALS
Oct 31, 2025
Takaichi shines on the diplomatic stage
Takaichi got especially high marks for her masterful handling of U.S. President Donald Trump. Channeling her mentor, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Journalists gather at the Nara District Court as a vehicle believed to be carrying Tetsuya Yamagami arrives on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 30, 2025
Lawmaker Kei Sato testifies at Abe shooter trial
Sato, who witnessed the shooting, expressed his resentment and grief over the fatal attack.
National security adviser Keiichi Ichikawa (fourth from right) is seen as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump review an honor guard of the Self-Defense Forces at the Akasaka State Guesthouse in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 30, 2025
Who is Keiichi Ichikawa, Takaichi’s new national security adviser?
Ichikawa is expected to play a leading role in the prime minister’s ambitious endeavors on the diplomatic and security front.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gifts U.S. President Donald Trump a putter owned by late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a golf bag signed by Hideki Matsuyama and a gold leaf golf ball in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 29, 2025
With gifts and hospitality, Takaichi taps Abe’s legacy to forge bond with Trump
Talk turned to Abe as soon as the U.S. leader stepped into the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo to exchange pleasantries with Japan’s recently appointed prime minister.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday. The encounter capped a strong first week for the new prime minister.
COMMENTARY
Oct 29, 2025
With Trump, flattery will get Takaichi everything
Whereas Takaichi’s predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, played for a draw at his White House meeting in February, this encounter was redolent of Abe’s best moments.
Members of the media gather outside the Nara District Court in the city of Nara on Tuesday hours before the start of the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 28, 2025
Abe shooting suspect Yamagami pleads guilty to murder
On the first day of his trial, Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, admitted to the 2022 killing of the former prime minister.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raises her fist as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech in front of U.S. Navy personnel on board the U.S. Navy's USS George Washington aircraft carrier at the American naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2025
At first summit with Trump, Takaichi pledges ‘new golden age’ for alliance
The meeting was a crucial test of Takaichi’s diplomatic chops as she seeks to elevate the Japan-U.S. alliance while staving off pressure from the U.S. on defense spending.
U.S. President Donald Trump is welcomed by Emperor Naruhito upon his arrival at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Monday evening.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 27, 2025
Trump arrives in Japan for security and trade talks in test for Takaichi
The prime minister will be seeking to build a solid relationship with the U.S. president as she looks to navigate increasing pressure on trade and defense issues.
The Nara District Court has scheduled 19 days for the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami before it hands down a ruling on Jan. 21 next year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 27, 2025
Three years later, trial begins for man accused of ex-PM Abe’s assassination
The delay was due to pretrial proceedings and a lengthy psychiatric evaluation for Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, to determine his fitness to stand trial.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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