Japan
We have been working in Japan since 2010.
Despite its global standing as a liberal democracy, Japan’s continued and highly secretive use of the death penalty remains at odds with its wider rights-respecting reputation.
There are more than 115 individuals on death row in Japan, with 14 crimes carrying the death penalty.
Executions are carried out by long drop hanging, and those on death row are typically notified only a few hours before their execution.
Conditions of death row and executions in Japan remain shrouded in secrecy – but what information is known has been met with extensive criticism and indicates the country is not meeting its obligations and standards in regard to human rights. Additionally, the country’s practice of sentencing individuals with mental or intellectual disabilities to death row is considered a violation of international law.
We began working in Japan in 2010, engaging from the outset of our work in the country with diplomatic missions and key decision makers such as the Minister of Justice.
In 2015, we published a survey on public opinion of the death penalty in Japan, which challenged the often cited claim that the vast majority of Japanese citizens are in favour of keeping the death penalty. Through the commissioning of further research over the years working, we have supported efforts to gather more empirical evidence related to conditions of death row, barriers towards abolition and the flaws in the justice system of Japan.
The longest serving individual on death row, Iwao Hakamada, was acquitted in 2024 after nearly decades in prison. It was found he was the subject of a grave miscarriage of justice. Whilst it originally served to reinvigorate dialogue on the fallibility of justice systems and the risks of capital punishment, less than one year later the country resumed executions after a three year pause, putting Takahiro Shiraishi to death.
We continue to engage with diplomatic and civil society partners to assist with opportunities for reform. In 2025, a legal challenge to the practice of executing without adequate notice was heard by the Supreme Court. A separate challenge to the legality of hanging as a form of execution was also considered. Both challenges were lost and now are being appealed. We have been invited by a local civil society organisation in Japan to provide an expert opinion on these cases, and we will continue to explore routes to restricting or ending the death penalty through both legal and policy action.