The mother of the suspect involved in the fatal shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears to regret causing trouble for the Federation of Families for World Peace and Unification, also known as the Unification Church.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, who was arrested immediately after shooting Abe in the back on July 8, 2022, expressed his resentment against the religious group during investigations by the Nara Prefectural Police.
The suspect told investigators that his mother went bankrupt after making large donations to the religious group, which eventually led to the ruin of his family.
Before the assassination, Yamagami even sent a letter to a blogger saying that the Unification Church had ruined his life, “destroying my family and driving it into bankruptcy.”
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According to reports, Yamagami’s mother had made large donations to the church, of which she has been a member for more than 20 years.
“It is no exaggeration to say that my experience with this during this time continues to distort my entire life,” Yamagami wrote in a letter.
According to Yamagami’s uncle, his nephew would ask him for help when his mother left her children alone and hungry while attending church. He said the mother donated 100 million yen (about $1 million at the time) to the church.
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After going bankrupt in 2002, the woman continued to donate to the church in smaller amounts, under the principle of “world peace and unification”.
On July 11, the church issued a press release stating that donation amounts are determined by individual members.
In Yamagami’s letter, he accused Abe of supporting the church.
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After the revelation, Yamagami’s mother, who has been staying at her uncle’s house since the shooting, apologized for causing trouble for the religious group during a recent hearing at the Nara district prosecutor’s office.
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Founded in South Korea by Rev. Sun Myung Moon in 1954, the Unification Church opened its first overseas branch in Japan about five years later. The church had developed close ties with the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party, which was formed by Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi.
The Japan branch eventually became the church’s largest source of income.
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Over the years, the church has drawn controversy for its involvement in business and politics, with some critics accusing it of being a dangerous cult.
As Yagami’s remarks put the controversial church back in the spotlight, Unification Church of Japan representative Susumu Sato expressed concern that church members could become scapegoats scapegoats for Abe’s death.
While he admitted that some members encouraged followers to give excessively, he claimed that donors were mostly motivated by faith.
Featured image from VOICE of America