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 2, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: ARSONIST GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING 16
A Japanese court sentenced to death an arsonist who killed 16 people when he set fire to an all-night adult
- NOVEMBER 11, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE IN OSAKA
the Osaka High Court in Japan upheld the death sentence of Ryoji Kagayama, 59, for fatally stabbing Chinese student Han Ying, 24, in July 2000, and office worker Akira Morinaga, 30, in February 2008, while robbing them.
- NOVEMBER 6, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH SENTENCE AFFIRMED IN SARIN ATTACK
in Japan, the Second Petty Bench of the Supreme Court rejected appeals by Toru Toyota, 41, and Kenichi Hirose, 45, who were convicted of murder in the 1995 sarin subway attack.
- OCTOBER 14, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR TRIPLE MURDER
Presiding Judge Hideki Shibata of the Takamatsu High Court in Japan upheld the death penalty for Masanori Kawasaki, 63, for killing his sister-in-law Keiko Miura, 58, and her two granddaughters Akane, 5, and Ayana Yamashita, 3.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: JUSTICE MINISTER HOPES FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY ON DEATH PENALTY
following her appointment as Japanese Justice Minister, Keiko Chiba hoped to create a forum for debate.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: MAN WHO KILLED MAYOR HAS DEATH PENALTY COMMUTED
Tetsuya Shiroo’s death sentence for murdering Nagasaki Mayor Iccho Ito was commuted to life
- SEPTEMBER 17, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: CHIBA URGES DEATH PENALTY DEBATE
New Japanese Justice Minister Keiko Chiba said she will deal carefully with death penalty cases and called for a wide-ranging debate on whether capital punishment should be abolished.
- SEPTEMBER 10, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN CONTINUES TO EXECUTE MENTALLY ILL PRISONERS
The government of Japan continues to execute prisoners who are mentally ill,
- SEPTEMBER 10, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY IN GUNMA BAR SHOOTINGS
in Japan, the Tokyo High Court upheld a lower court decision to sentence a gangster...
- JULY 31, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: HAYAKAWA'S DEATH SENTENCE FINAL
the Japanese Supreme Court finalised the death sentence of a former member of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult after rejecting his appeal, sources said.
JULY 28, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: THREE EXECUTED FOR MULTIPLE MURDERS
Japan hanged three inmates convicted of multiple murders including a Chinese national
- JULY 22, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
WOMAN ON JAPANESE DEATH-ROW ASKS FOR RETRIAL
a Japanese housewife sentenced to death for killing four people and poisoning 63 with arsenic-laced curry more than a decade ago asked for a retrial, a court official said.
- JULY 17, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: TOP COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE ON EX-AUM FOLLOWER
the Japanese Supreme Court upheld the death sentence given to a former senior member...
- JULY 10, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: TOP COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE ON GANGSTER FOR KILLING 4 IN SHOOTING
the Japanese Supreme Court upheld a man’s death sentence for killing a rival gang
- JUNE 9, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN OVER 2003 MURDERS
Japan's Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Mitsunori Onogawa, 32, sentenced to death over two separate murders in Gunma Prefecture in 2003.
- JUNE 5, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
DEATH SENTENCES UPHELD FOR DOG BREEDER, EX-WIFE OVER QUADRUPLE MURDER
the Japanese Supreme Court upheld death sentences for a dog breeder and his ex-wife, who were convicted of murdering four people in 1993 and mutilating and dumping the victims' bodies.
- MAY 29, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPANESE MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING SEVEN
the Kobe District Court in Japan sentenced to death a 52-year-old man for murdering seven relatives and neighbours.
- MAY 21, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: POPULAR JURIES RETURN TO TRIALS AFTER 66 YEARS
Japan reintroduced popular juries in penal trials after a break of 66 years. This aligned
- MAY 20, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL REJECTED BY TOP COURT
the Japanese Supreme Court rejected a request from Wakayama woman Masumi Hayashi to amend a death sentence handed to her following her conviction for killing four people and poisoning 63 with arsenic-laced curry in 1998.
- MAY 12, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Kazuo Okikura, 61, was sentenced to death for killing a wealthy woman and her
- MAY 12, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: HIGH COURT HANDS DEATH PENALTY TO FRAUD-RING LEADER
in Japan, the Tokyo High Court upheld a lower court death sentence given to the former leader of a fraud ring over beatings resulting in the deaths of four ring members in 2004.
APRIL 21, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: WOMAN LOSES DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL
a Japanese woman found guilty of murder lost her appeal against a death sentence, a
- APRIL 6, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: COURT REJECTS RETRIAL APPEAL BY EX-POLICE OFFICER INVOLVED IN MURDER
a Japanese district court rejected an appeal for retrial filed by a former police officer whose death penalty was finalised over the kidnapping and murder of two people between 1986 and 1989, sources close to the matter said
- APRIL 6, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH ROW INMATE'S TELL-ALL BLOG OPENS DEBATE
Tetsuo Odajima, 65, who is on death row at the Tokyo Detention Center in Japan, is writing a blog, a rare insight into the inmates on Japan's secretive death row.
- APRIL 2, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN MAY PROVIDE NOTICE FOR EXECUTION OF INMATES, ASAHI SAYS
Japanese death row inmates should be given at least one day’s notice of their impending execution, a government panel recommended after reviewing operations at the Tokyo Detention Center.
- MARCH 27, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPANESE MAN GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING ACQUAINTANCE IN THAILAND
a Japanese man was sentenced to death for killing a Japanese acquaintance in Thailand in December 2007.
- MARCH 25, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH PENALTY GIVEN TO MAN OVER MURDER-ROBBERY
the Tokyo High Court in Japan gave the death penalty to a 63-year-old man for robbing and murdering a couple in Saitama Prefecture, overruling a lower court decision that sentenced him to life in prison.
- MARCH 24, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN UNDER FIRE FOR 'SECRETIVE, INHUMANE' DEATH PENALTY
Amnesty International renewed its calls for Japan to abolish its use of the death
- MARCH 19, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: COURT DISMISSES RETRIAL REQUEST FOR AUM FOUNDER ASAHARA
the Tokyo District Court in Japan dismissed a request for a retrial of AUM Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara, who was sentenced to death for crimes including the deadly sarin gassing of Tokyo's subway system in 1995.
MARCH 19, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: DEATH PENALTY GIVEN TO FRAUD-RING MEMBER
the Tokyo High Court in Japan gave the death penalty to a billing-fraud group member