Executions in Japan
A record of people executed in Japan. The source for each entry is the press conference the Minister of Justice holds on the day of an execution. The Ministry of Justice began releasing the names of executed prisoners in December 2007; this page covers every execution carried out since February 2013.
Executions in Japan are carried out by hanging, at the detention houses in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Sendai and Sapporo. The prisoner is told on the morning of the execution; there is no advance notice. Afterwards the Minister of Justice holds a press conference and releases the name, age and place of execution.
Where the age or place is blank, it could not be confirmed from the source. Nothing has been filled in by guesswork.
Where the age or place is blank, it could not be confirmed from the source. Nothing has been filled in by guesswork.
45 people — 21 execution dates — 2013-02-21 to 2026-08-21
Friday, 21 August 2026
1高見 素直aged 58
Set fire to a pachinko parlour in Konohana Ward, Osaka, on 5 July 2009, killing five people and injuring ten｜Hanging｜Osaka Detention House
Sentenced to death by the Osaka District Court in 2011; finalised by the Supreme Court in February 2016. The first execution in Japan in one year and two months, and the first under the Takaichi cabinet.
Friday, 27 June 2025
1白石 隆浩
Killed nine men and women in an apartment in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, in 2017｜Hanging
The first execution in Japan in two years and eleven months.
Tuesday, 26 July 2022
1加藤 智大
Drove a truck into a pedestrian precinct in Akihabara, Tokyo, on 8 June 2008, killing seven people and injuring ten｜Hanging
The Akihabara massacre.
Tuesday, 21 December 2021
3小野川 光紀aged 44
Killed two people, including a pachinko parlour manager, in Gunma Prefecture in 2003｜Hanging｜Tokyo Detention House
藤城 康孝aged 65
Killed seven relatives in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture, in August 2004｜Hanging｜Osaka Detention House
高根沢 智明aged 54
Killed two people, including a pachinko parlour manager, in Gunma Prefecture in 2003｜Hanging｜Tokyo Detention House
Thursday, 26 December 2019
1魏 巍
Killed a family of four in Fukuoka in June 2003｜Hanging｜Fukuoka Detention House
Chinese national.
Friday, 2 August 2019
2庄子 幸一aged 64
Killed two women in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, in 2001｜Hanging｜Tokyo Detention House
He was executed while a request for a retrial was pending.
鈴木 泰徳aged 50
Killed three women in Fukuoka in 2004｜Hanging｜Fukuoka Detention House
Thursday, 27 December 2018
2岡本 啓三
Killed the president of an investment advisory firm and one other person in Osaka in January 1988, robbed them of cash, and disposed of the bodies encased in concrete｜Hanging
末森 博也
Killed the president of an investment advisory firm and one other person in Osaka in January 1988, robbed them of cash, and disposed of the bodies encased in concrete｜Hanging
Thursday, 26 July 2018
6岡崎 一明
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
広瀬 健一
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
Over these two days, all thirteen people under sentence of death for the Aum Shinrikyo case were executed.
林 泰男
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
横山 真人
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
端本 悟
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
豊田 亨
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
Friday, 6 July 2018
7中川 智正
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
井上 嘉浩
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
土谷 正実
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
新實 智光
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
早川 紀代秀
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
松本 智津夫
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
Former leader of the cult, who went by the name Shoko Asahara.
遠藤 誠一
Murder and related offences in the Aum Shinrikyo case, including the 1994 Matsumoto sarin attack and the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack｜Hanging
Tuesday, 19 December 2017
2松井 喜代司
Killed a parent and two children — three people in all — in Annaka, Gunma Prefecture, in June 2010｜Hanging｜Tokyo Detention House
関 光彦
Killed a family of four in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, in March 1992｜Hanging｜Tokyo Detention House
He was 19 at the time of the crime — one of the few cases in Japan where a person has been executed for an offence committed as a minor.
Thursday, 13 July 2017
2住田 紘一aged 34
Killed a former female colleague in Okayama in September 2011 and mutilated the body｜Hanging｜Hiroshima Detention House
西川 正勝aged 61
Killed four people, including bar proprietors, in the Kinki region between 1991 and 1992｜Hanging｜Osaka Detention House
Friday, 11 November 2016
1田尻 賢一
Broke into homes in Kumamoto Prefecture in 2004 and 2011 to steal money and valuables, killing two women and seriously injuring one man｜Hanging
Friday, 25 March 2016
2吉田 純子
Murder and related offences｜Hanging
At the press conference the Minister of Justice described the case only as “extremely cruel” and did not disclose details.
鎌田 安利
Murder and related offences｜Hanging
At the press conference the Minister of Justice described the case only as “extremely cruel” and did not disclose details.
Friday, 18 December 2015
2津田 寿美年
Stabbed to death three residents of an apartment building in Kawasaki in 2009｜Hanging
若林 一行
Broke into a house in Hirono, Iwate Prefecture, in 2009, killed two women who returned home, and robbed them｜Hanging
Thursday, 25 June 2015
1神田 司
Confined a woman on her way home in a car in Nagoya in August 2007, robbed her, suffocated her and dumped the body｜Hanging
Friday, 29 August 2014
2小林 光弘aged 56
Set fire to a consumer finance branch in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, in May 2001, killing five employees and injuring four｜Hanging｜Sendai Detention Branch
髙見澤 勤aged 59
As a crime syndicate boss, conspired with subordinates to shoot dead three people on separate occasions, disposing of the bodies in two of the cases｜Hanging｜Tokyo Detention House
Thursday, 26 June 2014
1川﨑 政則aged 68
Stabbed to death his sister-in-law and her two grandchildren — three people in all — in Sakaide, Kagawa Prefecture, in 2007, and disposed of the bodies｜Hanging｜Osaka Detention House
Thursday, 12 December 2013
2加賀山 領治aged 63
Stabbed two people to death with a knife to steal money and valuables and attempted to kill a third (robbery-murder and attempted robbery-murder)｜Hanging｜Osaka Detention House
藤島 光雄aged 55
Killed two people, including an aunt of his former wife, to silence them for fear of arrest, and disposed of the bodies｜Hanging｜Tokyo Detention House
Thursday, 12 September 2013
1熊谷 徳久aged 73
Shot one person dead with a handgun to steal cash and attempted to kill another (robbery-murder and attempted robbery-murder)｜Hanging｜Tokyo Detention House
Friday, 26 April 2013
2宮城 吉英aged 56
Conspired with accomplices to shoot dead two people with handguns inside and in front of a family restaurant｜Hanging｜Tokyo Detention House
濱崎 勝次aged 64
Conspired with accomplices to shoot dead two people with handguns inside and in front of a family restaurant｜Hanging｜Tokyo Detention House
Thursday, 21 February 2013
3加納 惠喜aged 62
Killed a bar proprietor in Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya｜Hanging｜Nagoya Detention House
小林 薫aged 44
Abducted and killed a first-grade schoolgirl in Nara in November 2004｜Hanging｜Osaka Detention House
金川 真大aged 29
Attacked eight people in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki Prefecture, in March 2008, killing one of them｜Hanging｜Tokyo Detention House