Japan executes man convicted of pachinko parlour arson that killed five in 2009
TOKYO, Aug 21 — Japan executed today a man convicted of an arson attack on a pachinko parlour in 2009 that killed...
Japan executed Sunao Takami today for an arson attack on a pachinko parlour in 2009 that killed five people, authorities announced. This marks Japan's first hanging since Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the "Twitter killer," was executed in June 2025. Takami doused the Osaka pachinko parlour with petrol and set it ablaze, claiming the lives of four customers and one employee.
Japan and the United States are the only G7 nations still using capital punishment, with strong public support for the death penalty in Japan. A 2024 government survey found that 83% of respondents believed the death penalty was "unavoidable," although support for abolishing it had risen to 17% from 9% in 2019. Despite this, many criticize the system, noting that inmates are often only informed on the morning of their execution.
Japan has carried out only one execution in 2022 and three each in 2021, 2019, and 2018, with around 100 people currently on death row. The government is accused of lacking transparency, as it only began disclosing executed inmate names in 2007. Additionally, wrongful convictions have occurred, with one notable case involving Iwao Hakamada, who spent decades on death row for a 1966 quadruple murder before being exonerated in 2024.
Campaigners highlight the issue of "hostage justice," where suspects face years of pre-trial detention and pressure to confess.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
