On June 27, 2025, Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, was executed at the Tokyo Detention House after being convicted of the serial killings of nine people in a horrific two-month spree in 2017. The case shocked Japan, a country known for its low crime rates, when police discovered the dismembered remains of eight women and a man in coolers filled with cat litter to disguise the odor. Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki announced that the execution was Japan’s first in nearly three years and stated that the order was signed after careful consideration of the tragedy's impact on the victims' families. Shiraishi was sentenced to death in 2020, just over four years before his execution, which is notably shorter than the typical duration for condemned prisoners on death row.
Japan Executes Takahiro Shiraishi for Gruesome Serial Killings
Japan Executes Takahiro Shiraishi for Gruesome Serial Killings
Japan carries out its first execution in years, as Takahiro Shiraishi receives the death penalty for the murder of nine individuals whose dismembered bodies were found in his home.
The crimes began when one of the victims, a woman who sought a suicide partner online, went missing. Law enforcement unearthed the grisly evidence in Shiraishi's townhouse in Zama while searching for her. Despite widespread calls from international human rights organizations to abolish the death penalty, public opinion surveys indicate that a significant portion of the Japanese population continues to support capital punishment. Shiraishi’s attorney, Akira Omori, expressed shock at the sudden execution, having only met with his client days before. Currently, there are 105 individuals awaiting execution in Japan, highlighting the ongoing debate surrounding the justice system and capital punishment in the nation.
