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Thank you for your question. First, as an important premise, the theory that 'the true culprit was a right-wing extremist' is not a well-founded, established fact, but rather a type of conspiracy theory or urban legend circulated online. Below, I will explain the official course of events in the incident and why such theories emerged and why they are being rejected.

✅ Confirmed Facts (Official and Judicial Recognition)

The assassination of Shinzo Abe was an incident that occurred on July 8, 2022 (Reiwa 4), near the north exit of Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, during a campaign speech by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot and killed. According to the suspect's statements during interrogation, the perpetrator stated that 'he harbored resentment toward the Unification Church (Family Federation for World Peace and Unification) and targeted Abe due to the organization's deep connections with the politician,' which exposed the organization's spiritual sales practices and connections with politicians, ultimately leading to the Tokyo District Court's dissolution order against the Unification Church on March 25, 2025.

At the judgment hearing on January 21, 2026, the court sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami (the defendant) to life imprisonment without possibility of parole, as requested by prosecutors. The defendant has appealed this decision to the Osaka High Court.

The perpetrator, Tetsuya Yamagami (41 years old at the time), stated regarding his motive for killing Abe: 'My mother made large donations to the Unification Church, which devastated our family. I wanted to kill the head of the church, but finding that difficult, I targeted Shinzo Abe, who was said to be connected to the denomination.'

❓ Regarding Conspiracy Theories Such as 'Right-Wing True Culprit Theory'

Existence of Conspiracy Theories and Alternative Perpetrator Theories

Prosecutors have presented evidence throughout the trial on the premise that the defendant is the sole perpetrator, with content that refutes the 'alternative perpetrator theory' that has long circulated on social media and elsewhere.

In the trial regarding the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, prosecutors presented detailed evidence of shooting by Tetsuya Yamagami using a homemade gun. This appears to have also intended to refute claims circulated online that 'the crime was committed by a sniper.' The defendant himself apologized in court, stating 'conspiracy theories originate from my actions.'

According to prosecutorial evidence, the two-barreled pipe gun used in the shooting could fire six bullets with a diameter of approximately 9 millimeters simultaneously. It was fired twice at Abe; the first shot missed, but the second shot struck him fatally.

Confusion with Fictional Works

In the fictional novel 'Assassination' (by Tetsukoh Shibata), which is based on the incident, the narrative develops as 'Is the incident truly a solitary act by the man actually arrested, or is the true culprit who shot Abe someone else?' The work is a suspense novel positing an organizational background, similar to the assassination of US President Kennedy.

The author himself emphasizes that 'this work is purely fiction' and has also stated 'if my ideas are refuted, that would actually be a good thing.'

⚠️ Conclusion: 'Right-Wing True Culprit Theory' is a Baseless Conspiracy Theory

The theory that 'the true culprit was a right-wing extremist' is a conspiracy theory completely unsupported by judicial or investigative evidence.

• Tetsuya Yamagami was indicted and convicted as a sole perpetrator; his motive was not right-wing ideology or political intent, but rather personal resentment toward the Unification Church.
• Some experts analyzing the case state 'Yamagami's motive was merely his resentment at having his life ruined, directed at former Prime Minister Abe,' confirming the absence of political or ideological background.
• Theories such as 'sniper perpetrator theory,' 'right-wing mastermind theory,' and 'multiple perpetrator theory' have circulated through social media and fictional works, but have been refuted by trial evidence.

It is believed that the spread of such conspiracy theories is influenced by the psychological bias that 'a major incident must have a great mastermind behind it' and the influence of fictional works. When understanding the truth of an incident, it is important to use facts confirmed through judicial proceedings as the standard.

Regarding the assassination of the Prime Minister, various theories exist, including ones suggesting that right-wing forces were involved. This theory is not substantiated by concrete investigations or evidence and remains in the realm of rumor and speculation.

The background to the emergence of such theories may be related to political conspiracy theories and the fact that aspects of the incident's motive and method exceed general understanding. However, without confirmed information from official investigative authorities, such theories cannot be regarded as facts.

Regarding detailed information and official views, it is important to check reliable news sources and announcements from official institutions. These will provide the most accurate understanding of the incident based on verified evidence and professional investigation.

Regarding the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the theory that 'the true culprit was a right-wing extremist' has not been confirmed in official investigations, court proceedings, or major media reports to date.

According to official announcements and reports, the perpetrator of the incident was Tetsuya Yamagami, who shot and killed former Prime Minister Abe on July 8, 2022, in Nara City and was arrested and charged. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. According to Yamagami's statements and testimony during the trial, his motive stemmed from resentment toward the 'Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (the Unification Church),' to which his mother had donated large sums of money. He believed there was a deep relationship between the Unification Church and former Prime Minister Abe and, finding it difficult to target the organization's leadership, targeted former Prime Minister Abe instead. This motive was not based on political ideology or beliefs, but rather on personal resentment toward a specific religious organization.

On the other hand, various 'conspiracy theories' have circulated online and elsewhere regarding the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe since immediately after the incident occurred. Among these conspiracy theories are the 'sniper hypothesis'—claiming that a different sniper carried out the shooting—and theories suggesting that 'the homemade gun was a decoy.' Additionally, a former director of the International Information Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proposed a 'bold hypothesis' suggesting that 'the true culprit is someone other than Yamagami' and hinting at possible involvement by a Korean sniper, though this is being treated as one of various conspiracy theories.

However, from the search results obtained, it was not clearly confirmed that the specific theory 'the true culprit is a right-wing extremist' is widely presented or discussed with substantial supporting evidence. While there are historical examples of right-wing activists attacking politicians, such as the incident in which Nobusuke Kishi, the former prime minister and Abe's grandfather, was stabbed and seriously wounded by a right-wing activist, the theory that the true culprit in the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe was a right-wing extremist is not currently recognized officially or being discussed with credible supporting evidence.

The official facts confirmed in court regarding the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (July 8, 2022, during a street campaign speech in Nara City) are that Tetsuya Yamagami, the defendant (41 years old at the time, unemployed), acted alone in firing a homemade gun that killed Abe. His motive was resentment stemming from his mother donating large sums to the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church), which devastated his family. He targeted Abe because of the former prime minister's deep connections with the organization, according to his statements and the evidence presented. In trials held in 2025-2026, the defendant Yamagami admitted to the charges and received a life sentence without possibility of parole. Prosecutorial evidence (ballistic analysis, judicial autopsy, surveillance camera footage, 3D reconstruction experiments, etc.) confirms the solo perpetrator theory, and third-party involvement or 'true culprit' theories have been refuted.

The theory that 'the true culprit was a right-wing extremist (a right-wing organization member or person with right-wing ideology)' is one variant of conspiracy theories and multiple-perpetrator theories circulating online. The main content is as follows:

• The claim that Yamagami was a 'decoy' or 'patsy,' while the true executors (or those giving instructions or snipers) were right-wing forces (or 'dark forces' connected with right-wingers). According to this theory, Yamagami's gunfire was either blanks or warning shots, and the actual fatal bullet came from a different direction (for example, a rooftop of a nearby building). Right-wing groups saw Abe as 'weak-kneed due to his relationship with the Unification Church' or 'having deviated from authentic right-wing principles' and eliminated him, or they made the incident appear as an 'individual anti-church act' to conceal right-wing involvement.
• The background includes references to the historical connections between Abe's grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, and the Unification Church, as well as points that conservative politics under Abe faced criticism from some 'purist right-wingers.' In some accounts, it is characterized as 'internal purge within right-wing circles' or 'political terrorism.'
• As a related claim, videos and posts on social media and YouTube have proliferated arguing that the incident could not have been committed by a solo perpetrator based on analysis of crime scene footage, audio analysis (white smoke, direction of gunfire sounds, subtle differences between initial medical assessments and judicial autopsy findings, etc.), using these as grounds to speculate about right-wing or organizational involvement.

Positioning and Reality of This Theory

Such 'right-wing true culprit theories' or 'multiple perpetrator/organizational terror theories' have continued to simmer online since immediately after the incident and were even mentioned in some contexts during the 2025-2026 public trial proceedings, but have been clearly refuted by evidence presented in court. The defendant Yamagami himself acknowledged in the trial, stating 'there is no doubt that I did this,' and further stated that 'conspiracy theories originate from what I have done.' In the investigation and trial, there is not a single trace of third-party involvement, with physical evidence accumulating to establish the solo perpetrator theory. These conspiracy theories have backgrounds including the shocking nature of the incident, the political ripple effects of the Unification Church issue, limitations in information disclosure, and the viral spread capability of social media. Some originate from Abe-supporting or conservative circles with the motivation of 'not wanting to emphasize connections with the church,' while conversely, anti-Abe and anti-right-wing circles have promoted them as political interpretations. Similar 'true culprit theories' are a repeated pattern in historically significant assassinations such as the Kennedy assassination.

In short, this is a conspiracy theory with weak substantiation, diverging from official and judicial conclusions. There is no concrete evidence or strong corroboration that right-wing forces were involved, and the solo perpetrator theory has been confirmed in court. Please refer to court records and trustworthy reporting (Yomiuri Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, etc.) for details. While conspiracy theories may captivate curiosity, fact verification is essential.