Assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022

 On July 8, 2022, Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三), a former Japanese prime minister and member of the House of Representatives, was assassinated while speaking at a political event in Nara, Nara Prefecture. He was delivering a campaign speech for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate when he was shot at close range by a man identified as Tetsuya Yamagami.  Abe was rushed to the hospital and later pronounced dead. The suspect was arrested at the scene and charged with murder after Abe's death. The assassination sparked an investigation into the Unification Church (UC), a religious movement with political ties to Abe and his family.  The UC was criticized for pressuring believers to make excessive donations, and leaders and lawmakers were forced to disclose their ties to the organization to the public. The LDP announced that it would no longer be affiliated with the UC and expelled members who had not severed their ties to the organization. Two bills were passed to restrict the activities of religi