"Anyone Would Do If I Was Going to Die Anyway": Japan Carries Out Execution After 1 Year and 2 Months

Japan has carried out an execution for the first time in 1 year and 2 months.

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

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

Takami was indicted on charges of sprinkling gasoline and starting a fire at a pachinko parlor in Konohana Ward, Osaka, on July 5, 2009, which killed five people—including customers and part-time employees—and left 10 others seriously or minorly injured.

Takami was caught after turning himself in at 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 since I was going to die anyway, I wanted to take anyone down with me."

This execution is the first in 1 year and 2 months since June of last year, during the administration of former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

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

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

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

Regarding the retention or abolition of the death penalty, he said, "For extremely malicious 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 inevitable to impose the death penalty on those who have committed remarkably grave crimes."

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