Japan executes man convicted of 2009 pachinko parlor arson that killed five

Japan carried out the execution of Sunao Takami, who was convicted of setting fire to a pachinko parlor in Osaka in 2009, killing five people and injuring ten others. The hanging marks the first execution under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government.

Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi stated that the crime resulted in "extremely serious outcomes" and caused "major shock and fear to society." He emphasized the unimaginable pain suffered by the victims and the long-term effects on the injured. Hiraguchi confirmed he ordered the execution after careful consideration.

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It caused extremely serious outcomes and dealt a major shock and fear to the society. The victims whose lives were taken away must have felt unimaginable pain and fear, and those who suffered injuries … were forced to live with long-term effects.

Takami, 58, was sentenced to death in 2011 for murder, attempted murder, and arson. His appeals were rejected in 2016. Japan currently has 100 people on death row. The execution took place during a parliamentary recess, a timing criticized by some as a tactic to avoid public debate, though the Justice Ministry denied this.

Japan, along with the United States, remains one of the only two G7 countries that retain the death penalty. The country faces increasing international pressure for greater transparency and the abolition of capital punishment, as most of the global community has moved away from the practice. Executions in Japan are carried out in secrecy, with prisoners informed only on the morning of their hanging.

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As justice minister, I have ordered an execution after careful and thorough considerations.