Japan has executed Sunao Takami, a 58-year-old death row inmate convicted of a 2009 arson attack that killed five people at an Osaka pachinko parlor. The hanging marks the first execution under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government and comes amid renewed international and domestic scrutiny over the country’s use of capital punishment.
The 2009 Osaka Pachinko Parlor Arson and Legal Proceedings
The execution stems from a devastating attack on July 5, 2009, when Sunao Takami doused a crowded pachinko parlor in Osaka with petrol and set it on fire. The blaze engulfed the gaming venue, killing four customers and one employee while injuring 10 others. Takami turned himself in at a police station the following day, stating during trial that he felt his life had reached a dead end after losing his job and struggling to find new employment, according to reporting from Sedaily.
During his citizen-participatory trial at the Osaka District Court in late 2011, the defense argued that Takami suffered from a mental disorder and should have limited criminal responsibility due to delusions. The court acknowledged that he planned the attack due to delusions caused by mental illness, but it concluded he retained full criminal responsibility to distinguish right from wrong and control his actions. Takami was subsequently sentenced to death. His appeals were ultimately rejected by the Supreme Court in 2016, finalizing his death sentence.
Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi Orders the Hanging
The hanging took place on the morning of August 21, 2026, at the Osaka Detention House, marking the first execution in Japan in 1 year and 2 months. Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi defended the decision during a press conference in Tokyo, emphasizing the calculated and devastating nature of the crime.
Hiraguchi added that the victims suffered unimaginable pain and fear, and that survivors were forced to live with long-term effects. The Justice Minister stated that he ordered the execution after sufficient examination in court trials and with an abundance of caution. In line with standard Japanese practice, Takami was only informed of his impending execution on the morning it was carried out, a procedure Hiraguchi defended as necessary to prevent emotional destabilization.
Political Timing and the Takaichi Administration’s First Execution
The execution is the first carried out under the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office last October. Coming during a parliamentary recess, the timing drew immediate criticism from opponents who argued the administration timed the hanging to avoid active public debate in the legislature. Hiraguchi denied that the timing during the recess was intentional.
With Takami’s execution, Japan currently has 100 people on death row, including 43 inmates who are actively seeking retrials. The previous execution in Japan occurred in June 2025, when the country put to death Takahiro Shiraishi, widely known as the Twitter killer,
who was convicted of murdering and dismembering nine people in an apartment near Tokyo.
Global Context and Domestic Public Opinion on Capital Punishment
Japan’s continued use of capital punishment places it alongside the United States as the only two members of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations that still carry out executions. The practice has faced mounting scrutiny from international human rights organizations, particularly following the 2024 acquittal of Iwao Hakamada, who had spent decades on death row before being cleared.
Despite international abolitionist pressure, domestic support for the death penalty remains high. Hiraguchi cited recent government surveys indicating that the vast majority of Japanese citizens view capital punishment as unavoidable. While a 2024 government survey found that support for abolition rose to 17 per cent from 9 per cent five years prior, roughly 83 per cent of respondents still considered the death penalty an unavoidable option.
