Japan Performs First Execution in Two Years, Executing “Twitter Killer”

Japan Performs First Execution in Two Years, Executing “Twitter Killer”
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Japan has reportedly carried out its first execution in two years, executing Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the “Twitter killer,” according to local media. Shiraishi, 34, was hanged on Friday for the 2017 murders of nine people, most of whom he met through Twitter. He targeted vulnerable individuals, many with suicidal thoughts, luring them to his Tokyo apartment where he killed and dismembered them.

The Justice Ministry has not officially confirmed the execution. Shiraishi confessed and was sentenced to death in 2020. Japan and the United States remain the only G7 nations to retain capital punishment, which enjoys strong public support. A 2024 survey found 83% of Japanese citizens consider the death penalty “unavoidable.”

Friday’s execution follows the last in July 2022, involving a man convicted of a 2008 deadly attack in Tokyo’s Akihabara district. Japan’s death row inmates often wait years in solitary confinement, with executions rarely occurring within six months of the final verdict. Critics highlight the system’s secrecy and psychological impact.