TOKYO
Japan has executed Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the “Twitter Killer,” marking the country’s first use of the death penalty since 2022.
Shiraishi, 34, was hanged on Friday at the Tokyo Detention House after being convicted of murdering and dismembering nine people in 2017.
He contacted victims — eight women and one man aged between 15 and 26 — through X, formerly known as Twitter, targeting individuals who posted about suicidal thoughts.
Lured Victims with Suicide Pact Promises
Shiraishi told victims he could help them die or even die alongside them. Once alone with them, he strangled them and dismembered their bodies. He was also convicted of sexually assaulting the female victims.
In 2020, a Japanese court sentenced him to death, calling his crimes “extremely malicious.”
Execution Conducted in Secrecy
Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who authorized the hanging, said the decision followed careful deliberation due to Shiraishi’s “extremely selfish” motives and the significant societal impact.
In Japan, executions are conducted in strict secrecy, and inmates are notified only hours before their hanging. Families and the public typically learn about executions only after they are carried out.
Ongoing Debate Over Death Penalty
Japan and the United States remain the only two major industrialized democracies still practicing capital punishment. While public support for executions remains strong in Japan, human rights groups continue to criticize the system for its secrecy and psychological toll on inmates awaiting death.
Currently, about 100 prisoners sit on Japan’s death row, nearly half seeking retrials, Justice Minister Suzuki confirmed.
Japan’s previous execution was in July 2022, when a man convicted in the 2008 Akihabara stabbing spree was hanged.
