Japan Report
Interview with C. Hayashi, son of (Ms) Masumi Hayashi, currently on death row in Japan.
Compiled by Michael H. Fox
A Summer Tragedy
On July 25, 1997, 67 people were sickened and four died after ingesting curried rice mixed with arsenic at a summer festival in the city of Wakayama. Two of the deceased were children.
The police compiled a list of suspects but still did not have sufficient evidence to make an arrest. With the public hungry for justice, criminal justice authorities released the name of a prime suspect, a 37 year old mother of four-Masumi Hayashi.
The evidence was paltry and circumstantial. Hayashi had been in close contact with the curry that afternoon, and her husband had access to arsenic for his extermination business.
The Two Japans.
On the surface, Japanese society seems orderly and well disciplined. But let the cat out of the bag, and it turns into a feeding frenzy of hungry predators seeking prey. Tens of reporters began 24 hour vigils outside the Hayashi home. They came with ladders to peek over fences, and telephoto lenses to capture scenes inside the house. Wherever the family ventured, reporters battered them with microphones and cameras.
Absolutely sickened with the constant stress and attention, Hayashi turned a hose on the photographers. The media used the event to their advantage and Hayashi was found guilty in the court of public opinion. And soon afterward in a court of law. Based on scant evidence she was convicted and sentenced to death in December, 2002.
Of the 118 people under sentence of death in Japan, only two are known to have children. Hayashi has three daughters and one son. Her son was 10 years old at the time of the arrest, and 15 when the first death sentence was handed down. Now age 31, he responds to some requests for interviews, but only to those whom are sympathetic.
Interview with C. Hayashi.
How often do you visit your mother?
I used to visit twice a year, but after the massive hangings in 2018, my mother has become nervous and and I now visit 4 times a year. It takes over two hours one way to get to the detention center and I can only see her for 20 minutes. An officer is always present in the room and a camera films everything. The camera is only used for those on death row.
What is your family's comprehension on the situation?
None of us can really fathom it. There is no substantial evidence, all that exists is circumstantial. There is no confession, and the state has never shown a motive. How does someone get sentenced to death on such scant material?
How is she doing?
Not very good. Death row prisoners do not receive dental treatment and she has lost most of her teeth. She is allowed outside her cell only for exercise, bathing and visits. Exercise is twice a week in a large dog run-and always alone. Likewise, bathing is also twice a week. She may not speak with other prisoners, all meals are served in her cell. Tv is allowed only a few times during the year-when there are consecutive holidays. She may not received visits or even mail from non-family members. If you send her a card, she is told whom it is from, but not allowed to see it.
How has having a mother on death row impacted your life?
Things were hard at school, I was isolated and ignored by other kids Naturally, my employer does not know about the situation. In order to rent an apartment, a guarantor is necessary, and nobody wants to be mine. I found a wonderful women and wanted to get married. She did not mind that my mother was on death row, but when her parents learned, the engagement was broken off.
Do you fear that she might be executed?
Our attorneys are doing a superb job of collecting new scientific evidence. The appeals will continue for many years. It is very unlikely that she will be executed any time soon. She may very well languish on death row and pass away from old age. If she were sentenced to life, she would be in a prison and working and communicating with other prisoners. Her present fate is to rot in solitude.