Japan has carried out its first execution in nearly three years, hanging Takahiro Shiraishi, the notorious “Twitter killer” convicted of murdering and dismembering nine people he met through social media. The execution of the 34-year-old took place on Friday at the Tokyo Detention House, according to Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki.
Shiraishi’s chilling crimes came to light in 2017 when police discovered the dismembered body parts of eight women and one man stored in coolers and toolboxes at his small apartment outside Tokyo. The gruesome finding, made during an investigation into a missing woman who had posted suicidal thoughts online, horrified a nation known for its low crime rates.
The Horrific Crimes Uncovered
Dubbed the “Twitter killer” by media, Shiraishi preyed on individuals who expressed suicidal intentions on social media platforms, primarily Twitter (now X). Using handles like “hangman,” he would contact them, offering to assist with their plans or even proposing to die alongside them. His online profile reportedly included the statement, “I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM [direct message] me anytime.”
However, his motives were deemed purely selfish by prosecutors and the court, driven by sexual and financial desires. Luring victims, aged between 15 and 26, to his Zama apartment, he would then kill them, often after sexual assault and robbery. The nine victims were beaten, strangled, and then brutally dismembered. Shiraishi attempted to conceal the evidence by storing the body parts in containers filled with cat litter to mask the smell, earning his apartment the grim moniker “house of horrors.”
During his trial, Shiraishi’s defense argued for a lesser sentence, claiming the victims had consented to their deaths due to their suicidal thoughts. However, Shiraishi himself disputed this, and the judge ultimately rejected the argument, describing his actions as “cunning and cruel” and emphasizing that he deliberately targeted “mentally fragile” individuals. Shiraishi was sentenced to death in December 2020, with his sentence finalized in 2021 after he withdrew an appeal.
Japan’s Capital Punishment System
The execution marks the first use of capital punishment in Japan since July 2022. Justice Minister Suzuki stated he signed the execution order after careful consideration, describing Shiraishi’s case as one that caused “devastating harm and sent shockwaves through society.”
Japan is one of only two G7 industrialized nations, alongside the United States, that retains the death penalty. Executions are carried out by hanging and are conducted in strict secrecy. Inmates are typically informed of their impending execution only on the morning it is scheduled, a practice that has drawn criticism from human rights groups and international bodies for the psychological stress it imposes.
Despite this criticism and ongoing debate, including recent scrutiny following the exoneration of a long-serving death row inmate, Iwao Hakamada, public support for capital punishment remains strong in Japan. A 2024 government survey indicated over 80% of respondents found the system “unavoidable.”
With Shiraishi’s execution, there are now 105 inmates remaining on death row in Japan, with many seeking retrials. While Japanese law suggests executions should occur within six months of appeals being exhausted, prisoners often spend years, sometimes decades, in solitary confinement awaiting their fate.
Shiraishi’s horrific crimes also had a broader impact, prompting social media platforms like Twitter to review and revise their policies regarding content promoting or encouraging suicide or self-harm. His execution closes a dark chapter that highlighted the dangers lurking online for vulnerable individuals.
