Japan hangs arsonist convicted of 2009 arson attack on an Osaka pachinko parlour

Japan executed Sunao Takami on Friday for an arson attack in 2009 that killed five people at an Osaka pachinko parlour, marking the country's first execution since 2025, according to prosecutors. Takami, 58, doused the arcade with petrol and set it ablaze, resulting in the deaths of four customers and one employee, Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi stated, emphasizing the "extremely serious consequences" of the incident.

Hiraguchi cited the need to consider the prisoner's emotional well-being before informing him of his impending execution, a standard practice in Japan, as stated to reporters. Japan and the United States remain the only two G7 nations continuing to employ capital punishment, with strong public support for the death penalty in Japan, as indicated by surveys.

Despite this, Amnesty International reported a 78 percent increase in recorded executions worldwide in 2025 to 2,707, the highest number since 1981, with Iran leading at 2,159 and Saudi Arabia documenting at least 356 executions. Japan carried out one execution in 2022, three in 2021, three in 2019, and 15 in 2018, including the case of guru Shoko Asahara and 12 former Aum Shinrikyo cult members.

The justice ministry disclosed that executions must occur within six months of a final verdict after appeals, although most inmates remain in solitary confinement for extended periods, potentially causing severe mental health issues. The government has faced criticism over transparency, as it only began revealing the names of executed inmates in 2007, and wrongful convictions have been documented, such as the case of Iwao Hakamada, who spent decades on death row before his release and exoneration in 2024.