Today's Close-Up S2026E09 - Former PM Abe Shooting Trial: What the Attacker Told the Court

In January 2026, the Nara District Court delivered a life sentence to Yamagami Tetsuya who assassinated former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. A focal point of the trial was how much consideration would be given to the upbringing of the defendant who'd been struggling due to his mother's adherence to the former Unification Church. In this program, NHK interviews children of Church followers with backgrounds similar to Yamagami's, who share their views on the trial. We also speak with someone who met with Yamagami for a total of ten hours, religious studies expert Sakurai Yoshihide, and hear what the defendant told him. 

Guest: Sakurai Yoshihide (Specially Appointed Professor, Hokkaido University)