Japan Carries Out First Execution in Nearly Three Years; 'Twitter Killer' Put to Death

 Tokyo, June 28 — Japan on Friday carried out its first execution since 2022, putting to death Takahiro Shiraishi, the man convicted in the high-profile case involving the murder and dismemberment of nine individuals, most of whom he had contacted via social media. The case, which shocked the nation and drew international attention, marked the first use of capital punishment under the current government of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office last October.

Dubbed the “Twitter Killer”, Shiraishi, 33, was sentenced to death for the brutal killing of eight women and one man in 2017. The crimes took place in his apartment in Zama city, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo. He lured his victims through Twitter, targeting individuals who had expressed suicidal thoughts.

Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who signed off on the execution order, said the decision was made following a "thorough and deliberate review" of the case. He cited the convict's “extremely selfish motives” and described the murders as acts that had caused “enormous shock and unease throughout Japanese society.”

Shiraishi's execution by hanging is the first since July 2022, when a man convicted of a 2008 mass stabbing in Tokyo’s bustling Akihabara district was executed. Japan remains one of the few developed countries to retain the death penalty, and executions are carried out in strict secrecy.

Under Japanese law, death-row inmates are typically informed of their impending execution only hours in advance — a practice that has been heavily criticized by international human rights organizations for the psychological toll it takes on prisoners.

At a press briefing following the execution, Minister Suzuki defended the continued use of capital punishment, stating: “It is not appropriate to abolish the death penalty while heinous crimes continue to occur.” He confirmed that 105 inmates currently remain on death row in Japan.

The resumption of executions also comes amid ongoing national debate over Japan’s criminal justice system. In a notable development last year, the Tokyo High Court acquitted Iwao Hakamada, once considered the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner. He spent decades behind bars for a quadruple murder committed nearly 60 years ago before his conviction was ultimately overturned.

Japan’s latest execution underscores the government's firm stance on capital punishment, even as calls for reform grow both domestically and internationally.