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
MARCH 18, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: TWO GET DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDER
the Nagoya District Court in Japan sentenced two men to death and another to life
MARCH 17, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING TWO WOMEN
a 43-year-old Japanese man convicted of murder was given the death penalty
- MARCH 16, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: MAN HANDED DEATH PENALTY FOR 'BRUTAL' MURDER OF WOMAN, 2 CHILDREN
Masanori Kawasaki, 63, was sentenced to death by the Takamatsu District Court in Japan for killing his sister in law Keiko Miura, 58, and her grandchildren Akane and Ayana Yamashita, aged 5 and 3, respectively.
- MARCH 5, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: PANELISTS STRESS NEED TO KNOW WHO DEATH ROW INMATES ARE
in Japan, panelists at a Tokyo symposium stressed the need for the public to know who death row inmates are, particularly at a time when a citizen judge system is to be introduced.
- FEBRUARY 27, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING 2 IN OSAKA
a 59 year old man was sentenced to death at the Osaka District Court in Japan for robbing and killing a female Chinese student and a male company employee with a knife on separate occasions in Osaka.
FEBRUARY 3, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY
Presiding Judge Hiroshi Shida of the Sendai High Court in Japan upheld the death sentence
- JANUARY 29, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
COUNCIL OF EUROPE SECRETARY GENERAL TERRY DAVIS CONDEMNS EXECUTIONS IN JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES
General Terry Davis, the Council of Europe secretary condemned executions in Japan and the United States.
JANUARY 29, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: FOUR DEATH ROW INMATES EXECUTED
Japan hanged four convicted murderers, officials said, carrying out the country's first executions of the year despite international criticism.
- JANUARY 1, 2009JapanDEATH 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, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
a woman who was sentenced to death over a 2007 robbery-murder case committed suicide at a detention house in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
a woman who was sentenced to death over a 2007 robbery-murder case committed suicide at a detention house in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
- DECEMBER 22, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
EXECUTIONS IN JAPAN EXCEED DEATH SENTENCE CONFIRMATIONS IN 2008
death-row inmates executed in 2008 will certainly outnumber those whose death penalty was confirmed
- DECEMBER 18, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
Japanese death row inmate Kaoru Kobayashi, who previously asked his lawyer to withdraw his appeal
Japanese death row inmate Kaoru Kobayashi, who previously asked his lawyer to withdraw his appeal
- DECEMBER 16, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
a 69-year-old death row inmate died of multiple organ failure after a battle with cancer
a 69-year-old death row inmate died of multiple organ failure after a battle with cancer
- NOVEMBER 11, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH ROW INMATE, LAWYERS SEEK STATE COMPENSATION
a death row inmate and his two lawyers filed a damages suit against the Japanese state, arguing it is illegal that the Hiroshima Detention House did not allow him to meet the lawyers privately.
- NOVEMBER 10, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: FAMILY OF CULT GURU ON DEATH ROW FILES FOR RETRIAL
the family members of death-row inmate Chizuo Matsumoto, former head of the notorious AUM Shinrikyo religious cult, filed a petition for his retrial with the Tokyo District Court in Japan.
NOVEMBER 4, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: JUSTICE MINISTER SAYS ABOLISHING DEATH PENALTY "NOT APPROPRIATE"
Japanese Justice Minister Eisuke Mori said it is not acceptable to abolish the death penalty. "It is not appropriate to terminate capital punishment," he told a press conference after the Cabinet meeting.
- OCTOBER 30, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
UN RIGHTS PANEL URGES JAPAN TO END CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
the Geneva-based Human Rights Committee urged Japan to consider abolishing the death penalty despite overall domestic public opinion in its favour.
- OCTOBER 28, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN HANGS TWO MORE ON DEATH ROW
Japan hanged two more death-row inmates as the country steps up executions to a pace unseen in three decades, despite an ongoing UN review of its rights record.
- OCTOBER 28, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN APPLIES DEATH PENALTY AT HIGHEST RATE SINCE 1975
Japan defied international opinion by executing two men on the same day that the UN issued a report critical
- OCTOBER 17, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
UN PANEL RAPS JAPAN'S DEATH PENALTY, POLICE DETENTION
members of a UN human rights panel criticised Japan's death penalty and police detention, many calling for their abolishment during a meeting in Geneva.
- OCTOBER 10, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY PROTESTS DEATH PENALTY USE WORLDWIDE
anti-death penalty activists staged a mock hanging outside the Japanese embassy in Belgium to mark the European day against the death penalty, calling on nations around the world to stop executions.
- OCTOBER 10, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
ACTIVISTS REVEAL JAPAN'S DEATH ROW TO THE WORLD
Japan’s death row inmates revealed to the world their personal stories of isolation and suffering, uninformed until the last minute when they will be taken to the gallows.
- OCTOBER 9, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN CRITICISED AHEAD OF ANTI-DEATH PENALTY DAY
human rights campaigners demanded that Japan impose a moratorium on executions, accusing the country of going against worldwide opinion on the eve of a global day against the death penalty
- OCTOBER 9, 2008ChinaDEATH PENALTY
the Tokyo High Court in Japan upheld a lower court death sentence...
the Tokyo High Court in Japan upheld a lower court death sentence...
- OCTOBER 6, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. 42 DEATH-ROW INMATES ARE SEEKING RETRIALS
a survey by a Japanese citizens' group opposed to capital punishment found that at least 42 of some 100
- SEPTEMBER 16, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR 'EXORCIST' OVER DEATHS OF 6
the Supreme Court in Tokyo, Japan, upheld rulings by lower courts that sentenced a self claimed exorcist to death for the deaths of six followers, tossing out her not-guilty appeal.
- SEPTEMBER 12, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
EU CONCERNED BY EXECUTIONS IN JAPAN
the European Union released a statement saying it was "deeply concerned at the Japanese authorities' announcement that three people under sentence of death – Mr Yoshiyuki Mantani, aged 68, Mr Mineteru Yamamoto, aged 68, Mr Isamu Hirano, aged 61 – were han
- SEPTEMBER 11, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN EXECUTES THREE MEN FOR MURDERS
Japan hanged three death-row inmates, officials said, bringing the number of executions this year to 13
- AUGUST 1, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
in the reshuffled Japanese Government, Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama...
in the reshuffled Japanese Government, Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama...
- JULY 24, 2008JapanDEATH PENALTY
HANDS OFF CAIN CRITICISES JAPANESE JUSTICE MINISTER
Hands Off Cain criticised Japanese Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama in its annual report, describing him as an ''outspoken supporter of the death penalty'' who broke taboos maintained in Japan over executions.