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
DECEMBER 27, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: NUMBER OF DEATH-ROW INMATES HITS RECORD HIGH OF 111
there will be 111 death-row inmates in the nation as of the end of the year, a record high
DECEMBER 19, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: 1,800 RALLY IN TOKYO AGAINST DEATH PENALTY
More than 1,800 people called for the abolition of the death penalty
- DECEMBER 17, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: MAN APPEALS TO HIGH COURT OVER DEATH SENTENCE FOR TRIPLE MURDER
in Japan, Akihiro Okuymoto, 22, appealed his death sentence for killing his wife Kumiko...
- NOVEMBER 25, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: JURY HANDS DOWN DEATH SENTENCE TO TEENAGER
Japanese jurors sentenced a teenager to hang for a double murder, the first death penalty
NOVEMBER 16, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: JURORS HAND DOWN FIRST DEATH SENTENCE
a Japanese jury trial sent a man to the gallows for a double murder in the country's first death
NOVEMBER 10, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: DEATH PENALTY UPHELD FOR MAN FOR KILLING WEALTHY WOMAN, BROTHER
in Japan, Presiding Judge Akira Kanaya of the Tokyo High Court upheld a decision by
- NOVEMBER 8, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH SENTENCE ON 2 MEN OVER DOUBLE MURDERS TO BE FINALIZED
presiding judge Masahiko Sudo of the Japanese Supreme Court turned down an appeal by Masayoshi Ozaki...
OCTOBER 14, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: TOP COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR DOUBLE MURDER
presiding justice Ryuko Sakurai of the Japanese Supreme Court's first petty bench
- SEPTEMBER 17, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
Japanese premier Naoto Kan reshuffled his government, leading to the departure
Japanese premier Naoto Kan reshuffled his government, leading to the departure
AUGUST 27, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: EXECUTION CHAMBER OPENED TO REPORTERS
The Tokyo Detention House opened its execution chamber to the media, giving the public its first peek at the place where death-row inmates are hanged.
- JULY 28, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN HANGS TWO, BUT URGES DEBATE ON EXECUTION
Japan hanged two men for murder in the first executions since the centre-left Democratic Party
- APRIL 27, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: TOP COURT NULLIFIES DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN CONVICTED OF MURDERES, ARSON
the Japanese Supreme Court nullified the death sentence of Takemitsu Mori, 52, for murdering his daughter-in-law and her son on April 14, 2002.
APRIL 9, 2010ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: THREE JAPANESE EXECUTED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
the Chinese Supreme People's Court announced that Japanese nationals Teruo Takeda, 67, Hironori Ukai
- APRIL 6, 2010ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA EXECUTES JAPANESE FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
China executed Japanese man Mitsunobu Akano in Liaoning province for drug smuggling, the Supreme People's Court announced.
- APRIL 2, 2010ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: THREE JAPANESE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH
China informed Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada that it will execute Japanese nationals Teruo Takeda, 67, Hironori Ukai, 48, and Katsuo Mori, 67, for drug-smuggling
- MARCH 30, 2010ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA TO EXECUTE JAPANESE MAN FOR SMUGGLING STIMULANTS POSSIBLY MONDAY
China told Japan that Beijing will execute, as early as next Monday, a Japanese man, Japanese government sources said.
- MARCH 30, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: MURDER- TOWARDS ABOLITION FOR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
Japan’s controlling Democratic Party approved a draft law that would abolish the statute of limitations for
MARCH 30, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DOG-REVENGE MURDERS
a Japanese court sentenced to death a man who murdered a former vice-minister and his
- FEBRUARY 24, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: MOST POTENTIAL LAY JUDGES ARE OK WITH DEATH PENALTY: AMNESTY POLL
Amnesty International Japan took a street poll in Tokyo asking people whether they would be prepared to hand down the death sentence if they are selected as a lay judge.
- FEBRUARY 16, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH SENTENCE FOR EX-AUM MEMBER NIIMI FINALISED
the death sentence for former senior AUM Shinrikyo cult member Tomomitsu Niimi...
- FEBRUARY 7, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
MOST OF JAPANESE SUPPORT DEATH PENALTY — SURVEY
over 85% of Japanese believe that the death penalty is necessary under certain circumstances, the Japanese government said.
- JANUARY 29, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: TOP COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY OVER MURDERS OF 2 WOMEN
presiding justice Yukio Takeuchi of the Japanese Supreme Court upheld the death penalty given to Kenji Ohashi, 69.
JANUARY 28, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: PRESCRIPTION FOR MURDER TO BE ABOLISHED
a subcommittee of the Legislative Council proposed abolishment of the statute of limitations for crimes
- JANUARY 19, 2010JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: SUPREME COURT REJECTS AUM MEMBER'S DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL
the Japanese Supreme Court rejected an appeal by a former high-ranking member of the AUM-Shinrikyo cult convicted of murder and other crimes.
- JANUARY 1, 2010JapanDEATH 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 28, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: MAN WITHDRAWS DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL
a man sentenced to death for killing two people and injuring seven during a knife spree in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture withdrew his appeal.
- DECEMBER 18, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPANESE MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR STABBING SPREE
in Japan, Mito District Court presiding judge Shinichi Suzushima sentenced Masahiro Kanagawa, 26, to death. Kanagawa allegedly killed two people and wounded seven in knife attacks outside a shopping centre in Tsuchiura in March 2008.
- DECEMBER 11, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: TOP COURT UPHOLDS DEATH FOR CULTIST
Seishi Kanetsuki, presiding judge on the First Petty Bench of the Japanese Supreme Court, upheld the death sentence of former Aum Shinrikyo cultist Yoshihiro Inoue, 39.
- DECEMBER 4, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR EX-INSURANCE AGENT
Presiding Justice Yuki Furuta of the Japanese Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of a former insurance agent convicted of killing a couple in Kitami, Hokkaido, in 1988.
- DECEMBER 2, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: MINISTER- IT WON’T BE EASY BUT WE WILL ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
the Japanese Government will work to abolish the death penalty, Financial Services