Akie Abe Reflects on Husband’s Killing Four Years Later

Jul 08, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Akie Abe, the wife of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has said she is only now becoming able to grieve honestly over her husband’s death, four years after he was shot and killed during an election campaign speech in Nara.

The assassination of Abe, which shocked Japan, took place on July 8 four years ago. Abe, then 67, was speaking in support of an election candidate in Nara when he was shot by Tetsuya Yamagami, now 45.

In January this year, the Nara District Court sentenced Yamagami to life in prison.

Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the shooting, an exhibition looking back on Abe’s life and political career has been held in Tokyo. Akie visited the venue on July 4 and spoke in an exclusive interview with Kansai TV, reflecting on the four years since the attack and on her memories of the former prime minister.

"Today as well, people talk about him, so there is not a day when I do not think of him," Akie said.

Asked about her feelings toward Yamagami, Akie said she had not felt strong emotion even when she first saw the suspect on television. "From the beginning, when I saw the perpetrator on television, I did not really have much emotion. It was more of a calm feeling," she said. "I want to avoid feelings of resentment spreading."

Akie said she does not want to hold feelings of hatred toward Yamagami. She also said that after losing her husband, she initially could not cry, and that only recently has she felt able to accept the reality of his death and mourn in a true sense.

The retrospective exhibition is also scheduled to be held in Nara. A flower stand has been set up at the site of the shooting on July 8, the fourth anniversary of the incident.

Source: KTV NEWS

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