The Effects of Abuse Can Be Overcome—The Inconvenient Truth Behind the Trial - 1/25/2026

Summary

In the assassination case of former Prime Minister, the court failed to acknowledge the impact of Yamagami's upbringing. This ruling reinforced society's false belief that the effects of abuse can be overcome and concealed the often-ignored depth of abuse and its psychological impact.

Keywords

Former Prime Minister, Yamagami, Abuse, Trial, Cognitive Distortion

A Wall of Memory That Must Not Be Touched

A man sits in an empty park. Staring intently at a small stone in his hand, he reflects on his past. The home he grew up in was dilapidated, his words were violent, and his love was distorted to the extreme. Yet, he believed he could somehow overcome those wounds on his own. As time passed, society only met him with indifference and prejudice. Such "stories of overcoming" erase past experiences and force individuals to rise by linking everything to internal issues.

During the trial, there was little mention of the extent to which Yamagami's past abuse influenced his behavior. The court dismissed the impact as a "personal issue" and completely absolved society of responsibility. The hidden message behind this trial, ostensibly to maintain legal consistency, was a hidden intention to ignore warnings to society as a whole.

Rise Up, Individual Mental Strength

The message that "mental strength can help overcome past suffering" emerged as a result of this trial. Society assumes that abused individuals, no matter how painful their experiences, will ultimately overcome themselves. But is this approach realistic?

There are significant risks in concluding that Yamagami's behavior is entirely the result of a personal mental disorder without taking into account his background. First, ignoring the impact of abuse dismisses the perpetrator as simply "mentally weak" and silences questions about the social structure and cultural context to which he belongs. However, this position contains a contradiction. This is because it ignores the seriousness of society's problems and past violent experiences.

Invisible Shadows: Cognitive Distortions

Once deeply etched in the heart, wounds do not simply heal with the passage of time. Past abuse and social isolation continue to influence a person's thoughts and actions. Society's expectations of "overcoming" these wounds merely suppress the pain without understanding it and attempt to forcibly strengthen one's mental strength.

For example, childhood neglect and violence make it difficult to develop a "correct self-perception" as one grows. Abuse does not simply remain as a memory; it alters a person's cognitive framework, causing past events to become "normal." When a person reaches adulthood without recognizing this distortion, the conformity and social norms expected of them by those around them continue to create a discordant tone in their worldview. This distortion is an unacceptable reality given society's assumption that these are nothing more than "overcomeable errors."

Impact of Abuse = Psychological Distortion × Social Lack of Understanding

As this formula shows, the effects of abuse are not simply psychological; a lack of understanding on the part of society at large exacerbates the symptoms.

Social Responsibility Ignored

The court ignored the social environment that created Yamagami and a comprehensive perspective for understanding his behavior. By ruling that "did not recognize the influence of his upbringing," the scope of responsibility that society as a whole should bear was narrowed and individual responsibility was emphasized. This suggests that by shifting responsibility to individuals, the structural problems facing society as a whole are being concealed.

By denying the element of "upbringing," the court ignored the gap between the perpetrator and society. This approach, which rejects all intervention in societal problems and relies solely on the mental strength of individuals, ignores clues to understanding the suffering of others.

Ironical Ending

In the end, Yamagami's actions were dismissed as a "lack of individual mental strength," and societal incomprehension continued to deepen. The message sent by the court's decision was to conceal the structural problems of society and shift the blame to the mental strength of individuals, thereby reinforcing the illusion that society can ultimately "overcome" past pain and wounds, no matter how severe, and allowing them to be repeated for future generations.