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
- FEBRUARY 7, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
the Fukuoka High Court in Japan upheld the death penalty of a 38 year old man
the Fukuoka High Court in Japan upheld the death penalty of a 38 year old man
- FEBRUARY 4, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
in Japan, the Maebashi District Court convicted Yamaguchi
in Japan, the Maebashi District Court convicted Yamaguchi
- FEBRUARY 1, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN EXECUTES THREE PRISONERS ON DEATH ROW
Japan executed three men convicted of murder, the Justice
- JANUARY 31, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
the Japanese Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by a 60 year old man against
the Japanese Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by a 60 year old man against
- JANUARY 21, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
the Maebashi District Court sentenced a 41 year old gangster to death for killing a
the Maebashi District Court sentenced a 41 year old gangster to death for killing a
- JANUARY 13, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. RECORD NUMBER OF DEATH SENTENCES IN 2007
The number of people sentenced to death in Japanese courts in 2007 rose to
- JANUARY 1, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
Japanese criminal law envisages the death penalty for 13 different...
Japanese criminal law envisages the death penalty for 13 different crimes but in practice death sentences are only handed down for murder.
- DECEMBER 25, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH SENTENCES UPHELD FOR WOMAN AND SON IN FUKUOKA
at the Fukuoka High Court in Japan, Presiding Judge Katsuhiko Masaki upheld the death sentences of Mami Kitamura, 48, and her 23 year old son Takahiro for murdering four people in Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, in 2004. The Fukuoka District Court's Kurume bra
- DECEMBER 18, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
Japan voted against the Resolution on a Moratorium...
Japan voted against the Resolution on a Moratorium...
- DECEMBER 17, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
CAMPAIGNERS URGE JAPAN TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Campaigners opposed to the death penalty urged the Japanese government to abolish or at least suspend executions prior to the expected approval of a UN resolution later this week on a global moratorium on capital punishment
- DECEMBER 10, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPANESE "GANG BOSS" SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SHOOTINGS
a gang boss involved in the murders of five people, including three members of the public...
- DECEMBER 8, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. UN OFFICIAL URGES TOKYO TO REASSESS DEATH PENALTY APPROACH
the UN's top human rights official deplored the execution of three prisoners, including one aged over 75
- DECEMBER 7, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. THREE PRISONERS EXECUTED
Japan hanged three convicted murderers in the country's first executions in more than three months, but in
- NOVEMBER 15, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
TOP COURT REJECTS APPEAL OVER 3 MURDERS, FINALISING DEATH PENALTY
the Japanese Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by a 42 year old man sentenced to death for murdering the parents of his estranged wife and his 12 year old stepson in Yokohama in 2002, finalising his penalty.
- NOVEMBER 12, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
DEATH SENTENCE FINALISED FOR EX-AUM MEMBER HASHIMOTO OVER GAS ATTACK
the Supreme Court finalized the death sentence it upheld last month for former senior AUM Shinrikyo cult member Satoru Hashimoto in two murder cases, including the 1994 sarin gas attack in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, judicial sources said.
- NOVEMBER 6, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD FOR MAN FOR KILLING 2 HOUSEWIVES IN KANAGAWA
the third petty bench of the Japanese Supreme Court rejected the appeal of Koichi Shoji...
- OCTOBER 26, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: CULT MEMBER GETS DEATH PENALTY
Japan's Supreme Court upheld a death sentence handed to Satoru Hashimoto, 40, a member of the Aum Supreme Truth doomsday cult for killing seven people in 1994 by releasing Nazi-invented nerve gas, officials said.
- OCTOBER 24, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. JUSTICE MINISTER CONSIDERS 'TRANQUIL' EXECUTIONS
Japanese Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama said he wanted to consider more
- OCTOBER 23, 2007ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINESE COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR JAPANESE NATIONAL
CHINESE COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR JAPANESE NATIONAL
- OCTOBER 17, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPANESE MAN RELEASED FROM DEATH ROW SPEAKS AGAINST DEATH PENALTY AT UN
Sakae Menda, a man freed from death row more than 24 years ago in Japan...
- OCTOBER 3, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD FOR MAN OVER 2003 MURDERS OF 2 IN KUMAMOTO
the Fukuoka High Court in Japan upheld the death sentence handed down to a 34 year old man for killing two people and robbing them of cash and valuables in October 2003.
- SEPTEMBER 28, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
TOP COURT REJECTS DEATH PENALTY APPEAL BY EX-YAKUZA CONVICTED OF DOUBLE MURDER
Presiding Justice Osamu Tsuno of the Supreme Court of Japan dismissed the appeal of Ryoji Goto, 49, a former yakuza leader sentenced to death for murdering two people and injuring three others.
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH PENALTY ACTIVISTS SPEAK OUT
after his brother was killed in January 1982, Masaharu Harada, 57, grappled not only with the loss...
- SEPTEMBER 26, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: COURT OVERTURNS ONE DEATH SENTENCE IN KITAKYUSHU SERIAL KILLINGS
the Fukuoka High Court in Japan commuted the death sentence handed down to Junko Ogata, 45.
- SEPTEMBER 26, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: ONE DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD IN KITAKYUSHU SERIAL KILLINGS
the Fukuoka High Court rejected an appeal by Futoshi Matsunaga, 46....
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPANESE MINISTER WANTS 'AUTOMATIC' EXECUTIONS
Japan's justice minister called for quicker executions, saying death row inmates should be hanged "automatically" within six months of losing their last appeal.
- AUGUST 23, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN INCREASES HANGINGS TO EASE DEATH ROW OVERCROWDING
Japan carried out three hangings, the most executions in a single day in 31 years, as it struggles to reduce a growing death row population.
- AUGUST 23, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH SENTENCE FINALISED FOR EX-AUM SHINRIKYO MEMBER
Masato Yokoyama, one of the perpetrators of the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack that killed 12 people and injured dozens, carried out by the buddhist sect Aum Shinrikyo, had his death sentence finalised when the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, the Y
- AUGUST 23, 2007JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. ACTIVISTS CONDEMN JAPAN HANGINGS
Human Rights groups strongly condemned the hanging of three convicted criminals by Japan.
- AUGUST 20, 2007ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINESE COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCES FOR TWO JAPANESE OVER DRUGS
a Chinese court upheld the death sentences of two Japanese men convicted of attempting to smuggle drugs from China to Japan in 2003, an official at the Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang said.