Japan has carried out its first execution in nearly three years, hanging Takahiro Shiraishi, a 34-year-old man convicted of murdering and dismembering nine people he met on social media. The execution, which took place on June 27, 2025, at the Tokyo Detention House, marks a significant development in Japan’s capital punishment system especially on this ‘Twitter Killer‘.
Shiraishi, known as the “Twitter killer,” was sentenced to death in 2020 for the 2017 murders of eight women and one man in his apartment in Zama city, near Tokyo. He had contacted his victims via social media, offering to help them die after they posted suicidal thoughts online. The case drew widespread attention due to the gruesome nature of the crimes and the method of contact.
According to reports, Shiraishi stored body parts in coolers inside his small apartment, and investigators revealed that he had sexually assaulted most of the victims before strangling them. Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki authorized the execution, citing the “extremely selfish” motive for the crimes, which “caused great shock and unrest to society”.
The execution has reignited discussions about Japan’s capital punishment system, which has been criticized by human rights groups. Prisoners in Japan are notified of their execution just hours before it is carried out, which can cause significant stress and anxiety. Despite these concerns, a government survey in 2024 found that 83% of respondents viewed the death penalty as “unavoidable”.
This execution marks the first time the death penalty has been carried out since Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s government was inaugurated last October. Japan and the United States are the only two members of the Group of Seven industrialized economies to retain the death penalty.