Asger Risom
Japan has carried out its first execution in nearly three years, hanging a man convicted of murdering nine people he met through social media.
The case, which shocked the nation, highlights Japan’s continued use of capital punishment despite international criticism.
Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the “Twitter killer,” was executed Friday for themurders of eight women and one man in 2017, whom he lured via Twitter and killed in his Tokyo-area apartment.
Victims Lured Through Social Media
Shiraishi gained access to his victims by targeting individuals expressing suicidal thoughts online.
He strangled and dismembered them in his home in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture.
The brutality of the crimes drew nationwide outrage and reignited debate over Japan’s justice system and mental health awareness.
Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who approved the execution, stated he had made the decision following a “careful examination” of the crimes and described Shiraishi’s actions as having “extremely selfish” motives.
“These crimes caused great shock and unrest to society,” Suzuki said during a press conference.
Renewed Spotlight on Japan’s Death Penalty
As reported by Reuters, this marks Japan’s first execution since July 2022 and the first under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s administration, which took office in October.
The method of hanging, used exclusively in Japan, continues to draw condemnation from human rights advocates, particularly because inmates are notified only hours before their execution.
Suzuki defended the practice, stating, “It is not appropriate to abolish the death penalty while these violent crimes are still being committed.” Currently, 105 people remain on death row in Japan.
The execution also follows the September 2024 acquittal of Iwao Hakamada, a man once labeled the world’s longest-serving death row inmate due to a wrongful conviction.
That case intensified scrutiny of Japan’s capital punishment policy, though this latest execution signals no immediate shift in government stance.
