A man accused of killing former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, told a court in the capital Tokyo that everything is true, according to local media.
Yamagami used a homemade gun to shoot Abe during a political campaign event in the western city of Nara in 2022.
Abe - who was known for his hawkish foreign policy and a signature economic strategy that popularly came to be known as Abenomics - was struck several times, dying in hospital later that same day and shocking the world.
The assassination highlighted links between Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Unification Church, known as the Moonies.
Yamagami reported to investigators that he targeted Abe, attributing his motivation to the alleged promotion of the church by the former PM, which he claimed had bankrupted his mother and family.
His mother reportedly made donations to the church totaling around 100 million yen ($660,000).
This incident led to investigations into the church, leading to four ministers resigning, and finally, in March this year, a Tokyo court ordered the disbandment of the church, stripping it of its tax-exempt status.
Yamagami's mother, expected to testify, has not changed her beliefs, asserting that the killing has only strengthened her faith.
His trial is anticipated to last until January, with the defendant denying charges related to violation of arms control laws. His lawyer contended that the homemade weapon did not fit into regulated categories under Japanese law.
Following Abe's assassination, Japan has tightened its laws concerning homemade firearms, reflecting ongoing concerns over gun violence.
