Japan has executed death row inmate Takahiro Shiraishi, aged 34, marking the first use of capital punishment in the country since July 2022. The execution was carried out by hanging at the Tokyo Detention House on the morning of 27 June 2025, according to reports by public broadcaster NHK and international news agencies.
Shiraishi, infamously dubbed the “Twitter killer,” was convicted of murdering and dismembering nine individuals—eight women and one man—at his apartment in Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, in 2017.
The victims, aged between 15 and 26, were lured through Twitter, now known as X, after expressing suicidal thoughts. Shiraishi used the platform to contact them, offering to assist in their deaths before ultimately murdering them.
According to a report by Reuters, Japan’s Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki authorised the execution. In a statement, he said the crimes were “extremely selfish and heinous,” and had caused “deep pain and shock to society.”
The case captured national and global attention due to the method of contact and the gruesome nature of the crimes. Investigators revealed that Shiraishi stored body parts in coolers inside his small apartment. He was arrested in October 2017 after a missing persons investigation led police to his home.
Shiraishi was sentenced to death in 2020 after being charged with multiple counts of murder, robbery, and sexual assault.
Though his defence initially filed an appeal, Shiraishi later withdrew it, finalising the sentence in January 2021. Japanese law stipulates that executions must occur within six months of a final sentence, although delays are common.
The execution also marks the first capital punishment carried out under the administration of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office earlier this year.
Japan remains one of only two Group of Seven (G7) countries—alongside the United States—to retain the death penalty. Hanging is the sole method used. As of December 2023, 107 individuals remained on death row, according to figures from the Justice Ministry.
The system has drawn repeated criticism from human rights groups and international observers.
A major point of contention is the lack of transparency: inmates are often notified of their execution only hours before it takes place, typically in the early morning. This policy, say critics, contributes to significant psychological stress and uncertainty for prisoners held in solitary confinement.
According to a 2024 government survey of 1,800 Japanese citizens, 83% expressed support for retaining capital punishment, describing it as “unavoidable.” The country’s courts and political leaders have long maintained that such support reflects the will of the people and justifies the practice.
This latest execution follows the hanging of Tomohiro Kato in 2022, who was responsible for a 2008 mass attack in Tokyo’s Akihabara district that left seven people dead.
Prior to that, the most high-profile executions were those of Shoko Asahara and 12 followers of the Aum Shinrikyo cult in 2018, for their role in the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack.
Shiraishi’s case has reignited discussion over Japan’s death penalty framework, particularly its handling of inmates with mental health issues and the ethical implications of executing individuals on short notice.
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