Abe shooter spends time reading; awaits unscheduled trial

Jul 08, 2023 | News On Japan

Jul 08, 2023 (Japan Today) - A year after the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday, the man accused of the shooting has been spending the majority of his time reading history and philosophy books while awaiting the scheduling for his trial, according to his lawyers.

While Tetsuya Yamagami seemed to be on edge immediately after the incident, the defendant has since relaxed and also reads newspapers every day at the Osaka Detention House, the lawyers said.

"He seems to be randomly reading about things he's interested in," one of the lawyers said.

Yamagami has declined visits from his mother, according to sources familiar with the matter.

While the first day of his trial is expected to come next year, the defense team said they believe it may not even happen in the first half of 2024 due to the overwhelming amount of evidence and that it is also "undecided" what he will argue in the trial. ...continue reading

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