Japan has carried out its first execution in nearly three years, hanging Takahiro Shiraishi, a man infamously known as the “Twitter killer,” who was convicted of luring and murdering nine individuals, most of them women, through social media.
Shiraishi, 34, was executed by hanging on Friday at the Tokyo Detention House. He had admitted to the killings and was sentenced to death in 2020.
His crimes, committed in 2017, shocked the nation and ignited national debates about online safety and the regulation of social media platforms.
The case came to light in October 2017, after authorities began investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman who had posted about suicidal thoughts on social media.
Their search led to Shiraishi’s apartment in Zama, Kanagawa prefecture, where a gruesome discovery awaited. According to police sources cited by TV Asahi, human remains, including heads and bones stripped of flesh, were found inside three cooler boxes and five storage containers.
The victims, aged between 15 and 26, had all reportedly expressed suicidal ideations online before being contacted by Shiraishi via platforms such as Twitter, now known as X. NHK and TV Asahi reported that the victims believed Shiraishi would assist them in ending their lives.
Using a social media handle that loosely translated to “hangman,” Shiraishi invited them to his residence under the pretense of offering help, but instead, he murdered them.
“This case, driven by selfish motives such as sexual and financial gratification, resulted in the deaths of nine individuals over two months, a deeply serious incident that has caused shock and anxiety across society. I understand it is an especially heartbreaking case for both the victims and their families,” Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said during a Friday press briefing.
In court, Shiraishi admitted to killing the victims to fulfill his sexual desires, according to NHK and TV Asahi. He was convicted in December 2020 on multiple charges, including murder, rape, and dismemberment.
Although his lawyer filed an appeal with the Tokyo High Court, it was later withdrawn, finalizing the death sentence.
While the execution has brought some closure to the case, it also reignited discussions around Japan’s use of capital punishment.
“The death sentence was finalized following a thorough trial process. After careful and deliberate consideration of all factors, I issued the execution order,” Suzuki stated.
However, not all are satisfied with the outcome. The father of one of the victims told NHK, “I’d rather have seen him spend his life reflecting on the crimes he committed, than simply losing it through death penalty.”
Japan’s method of execution remains hanging, and the process is conducted in strict secrecy.
Families and lawyers of the condemned are typically informed only after the sentence is carried out. The last execution in the country was in July 2022, according to NHK.
