Japan has executed Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the “Twitter Killer,” for the murder and dismemberment of nine people in 2017. The 34-year-old was hanged at the Tokyo Detention House, with the execution conducted in secrecy, as is standard in Japan, and only confirmed afterward.
Shiraishi was convicted in 2020 of killing eight women, including teenagers, and one man at his apartment near Tokyo. He lured his victims, many of whom had expressed suicidal thoughts on social media, by offering to help them. He sexually assaulted the female victims before murdering them and killed the male victim, a boyfriend of one of the women, to silence him. Police discovered the victims’ remains in cold-storage cases in his home.
The case shocked Japan, where the suicide rate is among the highest globally, exacerbated recently by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact. Despite a low crime rate, Japan has seen notable mass killings in recent years.
Shiraishi’s execution has reignited debate over Japan’s use of capital punishment, particularly after the 2024 acquittal of Iwao Hakamada, who spent decades on death row. Critics argue the justice system risks irreversible errors, while supporters maintain the death penalty deters serious crime.
