Japan
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 1
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · The death penalty is provided for by the Criminal Procedure...
- News items in the archive
- 739
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Japan is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 1 the year before. The archive holds 739 news items on Japan, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- JULY 7, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
Japan's justice minister, dubbed the "grim reaper" for ordering...
Japan's justice minister, dubbed the "grim reaper" for ordering...
- JUNE 17, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN HANGS THREE MEN FOR MURDERS
Japan hanged three men convicted of murder, the Justice Ministry said in a statement.
- JUNE 12, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
Japan expressed readiness to maintain...
Japan expressed readiness to maintain...
- JUNE 5, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. TOP COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR DOUBLE MURDER
the Japanese Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision that sentenced a 47 year
- MAY 28, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY SLAMS INCREASE IN JAPANESE HANGINGS
Amnesty International voiced "great concern" about a recent increase in the number of executions in Japan as well as the secretive nature of police investigations.
- MAY 27, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: VICIOUSNESS OF GANGS FACTOR IN DEATH SENTENCE
the ultimate penalty imposed by the Nagasaki District Court in Japan on the defendant in the murder of a mayor seemed to show that judges had no other choice, given the vicious nature of his crime and his unreasonable motive behind it.
- MAY 26, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. GANGSTER SENTENCED TO HANG FOR MAYOR'S ASSASSINATION
A gangster has been sentenced to death by a Japanese court for killin
- MAY 20, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD FOR ROLE IN BURYING 2 ALIVE
the Osaka High Court in Japan upheld the death sentence given to a 23 year old unemployed man
- MAY 9, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN URGED TO ABOLISH CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AT UN HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEW
Japan faced calls for abolishing capital punishment at the working session of the UN Human Rights Council to review the country's human rights record.
- MAY 8, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. LAWYERS COMPLAIN TO UN OVER RISING EXECUTIONS
Japanese lawyers criticised the rising number of executions carried out in the country,
- MAY 6, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
BROADCAST OF EXECUTION FORCES JAPAN TO DEBATE DEATH PENALTY
the broadcast of the execution of a man more than 50 years ago is the first time most Japanese have
- APRIL 28, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT GROWS IN JAPAN
the principles and taboos that Japan maintained with regard to capital punishment are being broken in succession.
- APRIL 23, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. COURT'S DEATH RULING A KEY VERDICT
a ruling handed down by the Hiroshima High Court to a 27 year old man who
- APRIL 22, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPANESE MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERS HE COMMITTED AS TEENAGER
a Japanese court overturned two earlier rulings and sentenced a man to death for
- APRIL 21, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH UPHELD FOR EX-CONSTRUCTION FIRM HEAD FOR KILLING EMPLOYEES
in Japan, the Tokyo High Court upheld the death sentence for a former president of a bankrupt construction company for killing three employees in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1997 and 2000.
- APRIL 16, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN RADIO STATION TO AIR EXECUTION TAPE AS HANGINGS RISE
a Japanese radio station will broadcast a 1955 tape of an execution in a special program next month, a rare move to raise public awareness as the government increases the frequency at which it hangs death row inmates.
- APRIL 14, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT DETERS HEINOUS CRIMES: MACHIMURA
capital punishment is one way to deter people from committing heinous ...
- APRIL 10, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. FOUR DEATH ROW INMATES EXECUTED
Japanese authorities hanged four convicted murderers in Tokyo and Osaka. Those hanged were Kaoru Akinaga, 61, Masahito Sakamoto, 41, Masaharu Nakamura, 61, and Katsuyoshi Nakamoto, 64.
- APRIL 8, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: MAN ACCEPTS DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING 2 RELATIVES
a 26 year old Japanese man withdrew his appeal against the death penalty imposed on him for killing two relatives and stealing their money, the Kyoto District Court said.
- MARCH 31, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: MAN APPEALS DEATH SENTENCE 'TO PUT MY AFFAIRS STRAIGHT'
in Japan, a 26 year old man in sentenced to death for killing two relatives appealed the ruling...
- MARCH 27, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. FAMILY'S DEATH SENTENCES UPHELD
death sentences were upheld by the Fukuoka High Court in Japan against a yakuza
- MARCH 25, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR TWO MURDERS
in Japan, the Tokyo High Court upheld a death sentence against
- MARCH 24, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: TOP COURT REJECTS DEATH ROW RETRIAL REQUEST
the Japanese Supreme Court rejected a retrial request from a former professional boxer sentenced to death over the murder and robbery of a family of four in 1966, ending his call for the case to be reheard.
- MARCH 17, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDERING TWO RELATIVES
a man who murdered and robbed two relatives in Kyoto and Kanagawa
- MARCH 16, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
DEBATE ON DEATH PENALTY IN JAPAN
the debate over capital punishment has resurfaced in Japan, particularly
- FEBRUARY 29, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
the Japanese Supreme Court upheld the death penalty imposed on a man who was
the Japanese Supreme Court upheld the death penalty imposed on a man who was
- FEBRUARY 28, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
at an appeal court in Japan, Presiding Judge Kiyoshi Kimura upheld a death
at an appeal court in Japan, Presiding Judge Kiyoshi Kimura upheld a death
- FEBRUARY 27, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
at a high court in Japan, presiding Judge Masaaki Ogawa nullified
at a high court in Japan, presiding Judge Masaaki Ogawa nullified
- FEBRUARY 15, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. SUPREME COURT SEALS 5TH DEATH PENALTY FOR AUM MEMBER
the Japanese Supreme Court rejected an appeal
- FEBRUARY 10, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. MPS MOOT HALT TO EXECUTIONS
a cross-party group of Japanese legislators drafted a bill proposing