"Anyone Would Do If I'm Going to Die Anyway"... Japan Carries Out Execution for First Time in 1 Year and 2 Months

Japan has carried out a death sentence for the first time in one year and two months.

This marks the first execution under the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Kyodo News and NHK reported that the death sentence of Sunao Takami, whose execution was finalized in 2016 for setting fire to a pachinko parlor in Osaka and killing five people, was carried out this morning (the 21st).

Takami was indicted on charges of sprinkling gasoline and setting fire to a pachinko parlor in Konohana Ward, Osaka, on July 5, 2009, killing five people including customers and part-time staff, and injuring 10 others.

Takami was apprehended after turning himself in to a police station in Yamaguchi Prefecture the day after the incident. During subsequent investigations, he reportedly stated, "I thought about committing suicide because my workplace went bankrupt or I couldn't get the job I wanted, and if I was going to die anyway, I wanted to kill anyone along with me."

This execution in Japan comes one year and two months since June of last year, when former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was in power.

At that time, Takahiro Shiraishi (then 34), who was indicted on charges of serial killing nine people and whose death sentence was finalized in 2021, was executed.

Regarding today's execution, Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi held a press conference and stated, "I ordered the execution after exercising the utmost caution and deliberation."

According to Justice Minister Hiraguchi, there are currently 100 inmates on death row in Japan whose sentences have been finalized, 43 of whom are requesting retrials.

Regarding the pros and cons of the death penalty system, he said, "For extremely vicious and heinous crimes, a majority of public opinion believes that the death penalty is unavoidable," adding, "Considering that heinous crimes still do not cease, it is unavoidable to sentence those who have committed remarkably grave crimes to death."

(Photo provided by Kyodo News, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.