The church, whose members are commonly known as Moonies, confirmed at a news conference Monday that the mother of Tetsuya Yamagami, who was arrested moments after he shot Abe in the back during a campaign speech on Friday, has been attending meetings around one once a month. Yamagami, 41, told investigators that he originally intended to target the organization’s leader, but that he also intended to kill Abe, who he claimed had promoted the church in Japan. He said his mother had made a “huge donation” to the church more than 20 years ago that had crippled the family’s finances. Tomihiro Tanaka, president of the Japan branch of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification – better known as the Unification Church – declined to comment on the donations, citing the police investigation into Abe’s death in the western city of Nara. Police confirmed that Yamagami had a grudge against a specific organization, but did not name it. Tanaka said neither Abe nor Yamagami were members of the church, which was founded in 1954 in South Korea by Reverend Sun Myung Moon, adding that the group would cooperate with the police investigation if asked. Abe, a conservative who became Japan’s longest-serving prime minister in 2019, delivered a congratulatory message via video link at a church event last year. Donald Trump is among other prominent figures who have reached out to the group, known for its conservative views, in an attempt to secure the support of its fans. In a statement released on Saturday, the church expressed its “shock and sadness” at Abe’s death, describing him as “a globally respected Japanese politician and active in building peace in Asia.” Abe’s maternal grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, who served as prime minister from 1957 to 1960, is said to have been involved in the formation of a political group linked to the Unification Church, which shared his anti-communist views. Kyodo news agency, citing investigative sources, said Yamagami had developed a deep resentment toward Kishi that he directed at Abe. A wake will be held for Abe on Monday night at Zojoji, a large Buddhist temple in central Tokyo, followed by a private funeral on Tuesday at the same site. Media reports said a public memorial service and other ceremonies would be held later, including in Abe’s constituency in Yamaguchi Prefecture, in the southwest. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken described Abe as a “man of vision” during an unscheduled trip to Tokyo on Monday, as the country’s ruling party held muted celebrations after a resounding election victory. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which Abe has led for nearly a decade, and the smaller coalition party, increased their upper house majority on Sunday. The LDP and Komeito won 76 of the 125 seats up for grabs in an election overshadowed by the first assassination of a Japanese leader in nearly 90 years. The election in Japan’s less powerful chamber of parliament had nothing to do with the makeup of the government but was seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s first 10 months in office amid growing concerns about regional security and a cost-of-living crisis. At 52 percent, turnout was up slightly from three years earlier — a trend some analysts attribute to Abe’s death — but a coalition victory was expected before he was killed. Blinken, who was in Bali to attend a G20 meeting, said he had flown to Japan because “we are friends and when one friend hurts, the other friend shows up.” Abe, he said, “has done more than anyone else to elevate the relationship between the United States and Japan to new heights.” “We will do everything we can to help our friends bear the burden of this loss,” he added, calling Abe “a man of vision with the ability to realize that vision,” after a meeting with Kishida. We remember Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister – video obituary The election result means Kishida, an Abe protégé, can still pursue his mentor’s lifelong ambition to overhaul Japan’s “pacifist” constitution. While building public support for constitutional change will take time, Kishida is expected to use his party’s mandate to double defense spending in the coming years amid concerns over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and increased Chinese military activity in the seas. of Eastern and Southern China. “Now he has a green light for it, said Robert Ward, at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Kishida said Sunday’s vote was a victory for democracy. “It is important that we were able to put together this election at a time when violence was shaking its foundations,” he said after a moment of silence was observed at LDP headquarters on Sunday night. Abe’s death at the hands of a gunman who was able to roam freely behind his target as he addressed a small group of voters has sparked criticism of his security arrangements. The Nara region’s police chief admitted there were “undeniable” flaws, and on Monday, the government’s top spokesman, Hirokazu Matsuno, said he expected a full investigation into security gaps on the day of the attack.
