連載 中島りか 新しい死者の書 第三回
Japanese artist Rika Nakajima reflects on the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, who assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, weaving together her own experience running the project space "Datsuisho – (a) place to be naked" in Tokyo's Yanaka district. As the space faced demolition in late 2025, Nakajima draws parallels between the trial's timing and the closure of her venue, recalling earlier events at the space that discussed the state funeral controversy and the cult issues exposed by the assassination. She describes attending the trial in Nara, observing Yamagami's demeanor, and connecting the case to broader themes of political aesthetics, fascism, and the theatricality of the judicial system.
This article matters because it offers a deeply personal, artist-led perspective on one of Japan's most politically charged criminal cases, linking the Yamagami trial to ongoing debates about state power, religious abuse, and the aesthetics of politics. Nakajima's reflections on the "politicization of aesthetics" and the design of political apathy resonate beyond Japan, touching on global concerns about democratic erosion and the role of art in processing trauma. The piece also highlights how contemporary art spaces can serve as sites for critical discourse on urgent social and political issues.