Japan has carried out its first execution in nearly three years, hanging Takahiro Shiraishi, the man dubbed the “Twitter killer” for the murder and dismemberment of nine people, most of them young women he met online.
Shiraishi, 34, was executed by hanging on Friday at the Tokyo Detention House, the Ministry of Justice confirmed. His case had shocked the nation and sparked widespread concern over the dangers of social media, especially for vulnerable users expressing suicidal thoughts.
Read also: Japan’s bullet trains are a true delight
Arrested in October 2017, Shiraishi admitted to luring his victims—aged between 15 and 26—through Twitter, now known as X. Masquerading as someone who could assist those considering suicide, he promised to help them die. Instead, he killed them, dismembered their bodies and stored their remains in his apartment in Zama, Kanagawa prefecture.
The horrifying extent of his crimes emerged when police investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman traced her online interactions to Shiraishi. A search of his home revealed three cooler boxes and five storage containers filled with body parts, including heads and bones with flesh removed.
In 2020, Shiraishi was sentenced to death after pleading guilty to murdering, sexually assaulting, and dismembering all nine victims over a two-month period. His lawyer initially filed an appeal, arguing diminished capacity, but the appeal was later withdrawn and the sentence finalised.
Read also: Snake halts Japanese bullet trains after wrapping around power line
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said: “This case, driven by selfish motives such as sexual and financial gratification, resulted in the deaths of nine individuals in a short span of time. It is a deeply grave incident that has shocked society and caused tremendous grief to the victims’ families.”
The father of one of the victims told NHK he would have preferred Shiraishi spend the rest of his life in prison, reflecting on the enormity of his crimes, rather than receiving the death penalty.
Japan remains one of the few developed countries that still enforces capital punishment, with executions carried out in secret. Neither inmates nor their families are given advance notice. Friday’s hanging marks the country’s first since July 2022.
Read also:Japan to begin prescreening visa-free travellers by 2028
Justice Minister Suzuki said the decision to proceed with the execution was made only after careful deliberation and a thorough legal process. “The death sentence was finalised through due judicial procedures. I gave the order for execution after a comprehensive evaluation of all aspects,” he said.
Shiraishi’s crimes not only left a trail of devastation but also triggered a national debate on mental health, suicide prevention, and the role of digital platforms in safeguarding at-risk users.
