2 years after Abe’s shooting in Japan, ‘second-generation’ Unification Church members struggling
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Monday marks two years since former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot, while issues related to the Unification Church and the plight of “second-generation” members of religious groups that drew attention afterward remain unsolved.
Many mourners visited a flower-laying table set at the site where Japan’s longest-serving prime minister was shot in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022, at the age of 67, by a man allegedly using a home-made gun during an election campaign speech.
The 43-year-old assailant, Tetsuya Yamagami, has been indicted for murder. He has told investigators that he held a grudge against the controversial religious group because of massive donations made by his mother.
“The incident brought to light the issue of second-generation members. I want to know about [Yamagami’s] motivations in detail through his trial,” Toshiko Nanri, 77, from Osaka Prefecture, said outside a train station where Abe was gunned down.
A 20-year-old male university student said, “The audience could have been harmed. Baggage checks should be conducted as much as possible during a campaign speech.”
The table for memorial flowers was fenced to secure safety, with baggage checks also carried out.
In Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture, where the slain ex-premier’s constituency was located, his widow Akie visited his grave and attended a memorial service.
Content retrieved from: https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3269615/2-years-after-abes-shooting-japan-second-generation-unification-church-members-struggling.
