Innocence Overturned:
Egregious Cases of Double Jeopardy
逆転有罪 (Gyakuten Yūzai)
in Japan
This list is published by the
Japan Innocence and Death Penalty Information Center
Note: Leafletting cases are listed separately below.
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges |
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Hirosaki University 1949/08/26 Aomori |
Nasu (Takashi?) |
Murder |
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Summary The defendant was charged with murdering the wife of a university professor. Court Chronology District Court 1951/01/12 Not Guilty High Court 1952/05/31 Guilty 15 years. Supreme Court 1953/02/19 Appeal is rejected ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1963 Paroled 1971 Real culprit comes forward. 1974 Sendai High Court refuses retrial. 1976 Separate high court bench opens retrial 1977/02/15 Not Guilty Sendai High Court Later Actions 1963 Defendant is paroled. 1971 Real criminal comes forward. Retrial is requested 1974 Sendai High Court refuses retrial. 1976/07/13 Same court agrees to retrial. 1977/02/15 Not guilty ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1981/04 (Aomori D.C). Plaintiff recieves redress-wins partial victory. 1986/11 (Sendai H. C.) Redress award is overturned. 1990/07 (Supreme Court) Appeal rejected. Redress denied. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Yakai 八海 1951/1/24 |
4 people |
Murder, Robbery |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 1952/06/02 One defendant sentenced to death, three to life imprisonment. High Court 1953/9/18 Defendant's appeal is rejected Supreme Court 1957/10/5 Overturns the decisions and orders retrial in high court. Later Actions 1959 High Court: Not Guilty 1962 Supreme Court: Not Guilty decision is overturned. Remanded to the High Court 1965 High Court: Guilty 1968 Supreme Court Not Guilty |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Sunagawa 1957 Sep |
7 defendants |
Trespassing |
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Summary 1955: Riots occur to prevent the enlargement of a US base. Nearly 1000 people are injured, 23 are arrested, 7 are prosecuted. In 1959, Tokyo District Court Judge Dahte rules the bases violate the constitution. After direct appeal to the Supreme Court, the US ambassador secretly negotiatied with various ministries and the Supreme Court. The decision was overturned and the defendant’s were found guilty. Court Chronology District Court 1959/March Not guilty Supreme Court 1959/December. The decision is overturned and remanded. Later Actions 1960 Jan: US-Japan Security treaty is signed. 1960 Jun US-Japan Security treaty is ratified by the Diet. 1961 March Defendants are found guilty and fined 2000 yen. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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名張 61/03/28 Mie Nabari City Arrested 61/04/02 |
Okunishi Masaru aged 35 at the time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Died in prison: October 4, 2015 Aged 89 |
Murder x 5 ~~~~~ Yes |
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Summary Five women died at a town meeting after drinking wine laced with poison. The investigation focussed on those in possession of the wine that day, and was narrowed to three people. The key suspect became thirty five year old Masaru Okunishi. Of the five women who perished, one was his wife and another was a lover. A great tragedy of Japanese justice, Okunishi was found not guilty in his first trial, and guilty in the second. He passed away on death row in 2015. This case is one of 12 endorsed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as a proven miscarriage of justice. ( See the list ) Court Chronology District Court (Tsu) 1964/12/23 Not Guilty High Court (Nagoya) 1969/09/10 Death Supreme Court 1972/06/15 Confirmed Later Actions Retrial Appeals 1973~2002 6 appeals for retrial filed. All are rejected. 7th Appeal for Retrial: 2002 7th request for retrial is filed. 2005/04/05 Request for retrial is granted. Prosecution files objection. 2006/12/26 Prosecution’s objection is granted, retrial is repealed. 2010/04/05 Supreme Court overturns repeal and grants a retrial. 2012/05/25 Nagoya High Court denies retrial. 2015/10/04 Okunishi passes away in prison. 10th Appeal for Retrial: 2017/12/08 Nagoya High Court denies 10th petition for retrial. 2017/12/11 Special Protest filed over retrial denial. Current Status: Protest is being adjudicated in the Nagoya High Court |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Tokyo 1972 |
Nishiyama Takichi |
Exposing government documents in violation of the National Public Services Law. |
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Summary Arrested and charged together with a female Foreign Ministry secretary for exposing classified internal documents about the negotiation process behind Okinawa's reversion from U.S. occupation. Both were accused of violating the National Public Services Law. According to the reports, Japan shouldered $4 million in costs for the reversion under the secret agreement, which has been consistently denied by high ranking Japanese government officials. Court Chronology District Court Not Guilty High Court Guilty Supreme Court 1978 Guiity Confirmed Later Actions 2005: Files suit seeking 33 million yen in compensation after the US government released documents proving his claim. More |
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Case Name Location Date of Crime Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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甲山 Hyogo 1974 |
Etsuko Yamada (F 24) Kiyoshi Araki (M ) Yuko Tada (F) |
Yamada: Murder Araki: Perjury Tada: Perjury ~~~ Yamada-yes, after 13 days of interrogation. |
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Summary Two children, a boy and girl, both aged twelve, went missing from the Kabutoyama Institute, a school for retarded children and young adults. The bodies were retrieved from a septic tank. Etsuko Yamada, a nurse, was arrested, but not charged with murder. She then sued the police and was vengefully rearrested. This marathon case took 25 years. Court Chronology District Court 1985/10/17 Not Guilty ( Kobe DC) High Court 1990/03/23 Decision is overturned. Remanded to District Court. Supreme Court 1992/04/07 Defense's appeal against the remand is refused. Later Actions 1998/03/24 Kobe District Court Not Guilty 1999/09/29 Osaka High Court Not Guilty Prosecution's appeal is rejected. Innocence is confirmed. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Tomiyama 富山 1974/10/03 1975 |
Tomiyama Yasunobu |
Murder |
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Summary A death occurred in a fight among leftist political groups (chukaku-ha vs kakumaru-ha). At trial, five eyewitnesses testified. The district court found the testimony faulty and unreliable. Court Chronology District Court 1981/03/05 Not guilty High Court 1985/06/26 Guilty 10 years.
Supreme Court 1987/11/10 Sentence is confirmed. Later Actions 94/06/20 Request for retrial is filed. 95/12/19 Released from prison |
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Case Name Location Date of Crime Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Osaka Child Kidnapping and Murder Case. 大阪の児童誘拐殺人 (勉ちゃん誘拐殺人) Osaka 1982/03/19 |
Nozaki Noboru 野崎登 b. 1922 |
Kidnapping and Murder ~~~~ Yes. |
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Summary 17 days after being reported as missing, a seven year old child's naked and stabbed corpse was discovered. The district court found the evidence to be circumstantial and the confession to be inaccurate. The high court reversed and the defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment. Court Chronology District Court 1988/04/26 Not Guilty High Court 1991/09/26 Life Imprisonment Supreme Court Unknown |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges |
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Geihinkan/Yokota Saiban 迎賓館・横田裁判 aka: 迎賓館ロケット弾事件 (aka: Bakutori 4 爆取人) 86/04/15 86/05/04 Tokyo |
Taketoshi Suga Hirofumi Sogame Hiroshi Itagaki* ~~~~~~~ Fukushima Masao (arrested in 1993) |
Manufacture and firing of explosives |
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Summary The three were arrested for manufacturing and launching mortar rounds at Yokota Air Base and the Tokyo State Guest House during a meeting of leaders of developed nations. Though a finding of guilty would result in a sentence of 8 years, the three were incarcerated from Nov 1987 until being freed on bail in December 2002, in excess of 15 years. Court Chronology District Court 2004/03/26 Tokyo Not Guilty. Prosecution appeals. High Court 2006/01/16 Trial opens and closes the same day. 2006/05/19 Judge criticizes lower court decision, and remands the case. Special objection is lodged with the Supreme Court. Supreme Court 2007/10/18 SC upholds HC decision. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Remand Case District Court 2010/06/02 Guilty Sentences: Suga = 10 years. Sogame, Itagaki = 8 years. Fukushima sentenced to 12 years (in separate trial.) High Court 2013/06/27 Appeal is rejected. Supreme Court 2016/03/14 SC upholds DC decision.
Currently: All are currently imprisoned in separate facilities. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges |
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Fukui Female Middle School Killing 福井女子中学生殺人事件 Fukui 1986/03/19 1987/03/29 (One year later) |
Maekawa Shoji |
Murder (+other charges) |
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Summary On March 19, 1986, a female middle school student was brutally stabbed and strangled in the kitchen of her home after a graduation ceremony. One year later, police arrested Shoji Maekawa on drug charges and later charged him with the murder. As there was only circumstantial evidence,-mostly testimony of a yakuza in detention, Maekawa was declared innocent. The prosecution appealed and he was sentenced to 7 years. In 2011, the Nagoya High Court granted a retrial, a very rare occurance. The prosecution again appealed and some 15 months later, a separate branch of the Nagoya High Court revoked the retrial. A further appeal has been lodged with the Supreme Court. This case is one of 12 endorsed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as a proven miscarriage of justice. ( See the list ) Court Chronology District Court 90/09/26 Not Guilty. High Court 95/02/09 Not Guilty decision is overturned. Sentenced to 7 years. Supreme Court 97/11/12 Appeal Rejected. Sentence Confirmed Later Actions 2003/03/05 Maekawa finishes sentence and is released. First Appeal for Retrial: High Court: 2011/11/30 Retrial Granted. (Nagoya High Court) High Court 2013/03/06 Retrial Revoked (Nagoya High Court) Supreme Court 2013/03/11 Special Objection filed. Supreme Court 2014/12/10 Special Objection is rejected. Current Status: not being ajudicated. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Hoshino 1988/12/08 |
Hoshino (Masami?) |
obscenity ~~~~ ? |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 1990/03/27 7 months at labor High Court 1991/03/26 Not Guilty Supreme Court 1994/12/22 Not Guilty decision is overturned. Case is remanded to the High Court. Later Actions 1996/05/16 Guilty Nagoya High Court 1999/03/23 Confirmed. Supreme Court. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Fujisawa Arson Murder Case. ~~~~ Fujisawa city, Kanagawa pref. ~~~~~ 1993/12/14 ~~~~~~ 2001/Feb : Note 7 years after suspected crime. |
Sasaki Kei |
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Summary Sasaki was the prime suspect in th arson/murder death of his girlfriend. 5 years after the incident, investigations ended. The victims family brought a civil suit against the Sasaki, which recognized him as murderer and awarded damages. The decision lead to arrest and trial. Court Chronology Civil Proceedings 1998/June Investigation officially ended due to lack of evidence. 2000 July. Victims parents file civil suit against the defendant. 2001/Feb. Victims family awarded 97,000,000 yen ($850,000) Criminal Proceedings District Court 2003/06/02 Not Guilty. Prosecution demanded life imprisonment. High Court 2004/09/07 Guilty 15 years. Supreme Court 2005/05/20 Confirmed. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges |
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Tokyo 97/03/19 |
Govinda P. Mainali Nepali citizen |
Murder, Robbery |
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Summary Nepali Govinda was arrested for the strangulation of a female executive of the Tokyo Power and Electic Company, a high profile case. Govinda admitted to having sex with the woman but denies the murder. The short span of eight months between District Court and High Court decisions was unduly abnormal for a Japanese court. Court Chronology District Court 00/04/14 Not Guilty Special Order 00/06/27 Supreme Court rules that Govinda should remain incarcerated as he might flee. High Court 00/12/22 Guilty: Life Imprisonment Supreme Court 03/10/20 Sentence is confirmed.
Later Actions 2005/03/24 files for retrial in the Tokyo HC 2011 September- an insider reveals that hidden DNA evidence exists. 2012 June 7: Retrial is granted. Govinda is paroled. June 15: Govinda is deported. Oct 29: Prosecution requests decision of not guilty. Nov 7: Decision: Not guilty. 2013 Awarded ¥68 million （$600,000) for 15 years wrongful imprisonment =12,500 yen for each day. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges |
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Tokyo |
Yasuda Yoshihiro b. 1947 |
Obstructing the return of financial assets to the government |
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Summary Yasuda, an outspoken human rights attorney and anti-death penalty advocate, was leading the legal team defending the Aum Shinrikyo religous cult. . He was arrested for obstructing the transfer of funds from a failed real estate company to the state. His incarceration for 300 days has been severely criticized as political vindictiveness. Court Chronology District Court 2003/12/25 Not Guilty High Court 2008/04/23 Guilty Fined 500,000 yen ($5000) Supreme Court 2011/12/6 Guilty High Court Decision is confirmed. |
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Case Name Location Date of Crime Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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2000/June |
Tokunaga Robert Brazilian National |
Excessive injury resulting in death |
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Summary Brazilian Roberto Tokunaga was tried for causing excessive injury resulting in death to his 3 year old daughter. The prosecution appealed and Tokunaga was reincarcerated on 01/10/17 at the start of his second trial. (Reincareration is mostly applied to foreigners) Court Chronology District Court 2001/05/24 Not Guilty (Nagano District Court) High Court 2002/07/08 Guilty (Tokyo High Court) Supreme Court 2002/11/25 Confirmed |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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AKA: Toyokawa Case AKA: Mito Child Drowning Case 2002/07/28 2003/04/15 |
Tanabe Masaki aka (Kawase Masaki). b. 1972 Currently incarcerated in the Oita prison. |
Kidnapping and Murder of a 22 month old boy ~~~~ Yes |
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Summary Prosecutors allege that Tanabe became angered by a boy's crying while trying to sleep in his minivan in Toyokawa city, Aichi prefecture. He then reacted violently, and abducted, transported, and hurled the boy into the sea from a pier in Mito city. In the absence of any material evidence, the district court found the confession unreliable and declared Tanabe not guilty. The high court overturned and issued a sentence of 17 years. This case is one of 12 endorsed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as a proven miscarriage of justice. ( See the list ) Court Chronology 2006/01/25 Not Guilty. Nagoya District Court 2007/07/06 Verdict is overturned. Sentence 17 years. Nagoya High Court 2008/09/30 Confirmed Supreme Court Later Actions First Appeal for Retrial: 2016/07/05 Retrial filed. Nagoya High Court 2019/01/25 Retrial is rejected. Nagoya High Court (Criminal Division #1) 2019/01/28 Objection filed. Nagoya High Court (Criminal Division #2) Currently under review by the Nagoya High Court (Criminal Division #2). ~~~~~ 2022/Aug/20 Tanabe is released from prison after serving out term. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Chilean National 2001 August Nagano |
A. M. Name removed by defendant's request. |
Theft ~~~~ |
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Summary Chilean A. M. was accused of abetting and participating in the theft of a necklace and then a car. The court found that no necklace was stolen, and that the defendant was not complicit in stealing an automobile. The prosecution appealed and A.M. was later found guilty. Court Chronology District Court 2003/05/29 Not Guilty. Suwa Summary Court High Court 2004/08/17 Guilty: Two Years of Labor Supreme Court 2004/12/14 Guilty Confirmed. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Kobe Pawnshop Murder/Robbery Case 神戸質店主殺害事件 Hyogo 2005/10/08 2007/09/06 Note: 22 months later. |
Ogata Hidehiko 緒方秀彦 |
Murder and Robbery of a Pawnshop Owner ~~~ Yes |
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Summary The defendant had visited the pawnshop to install a security camera. Tobacco containing his DNA was found at the scene as well as foot prints. The district court found the evidence flimsy and declared the defendant not guilty. Court Chronology District Court 2008/07/01 Not Guilty
High Court 2009/09/24 Guilty Life Imprisonment Supreme Court 2011/12/12 Confirmed Later Actions Ogata is currently housed at the Okayama prison. He has a support association that publishes a regular newsletter. |
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Case Name Location Date of Crime Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Hyogo Self-defense Case ~~~~~ Amagasaki, Hyogo 2005/07/_ _ |
2 men aged 18 and 17 at the time of the crime. |
Battery resulting in death. |
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Summary Note Information Needed The defendant, along with another two others aged 20 and 19, were charged with the beating death of a 37 year old truck driver in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, in July 2005. Court Chronology District Court Not Guilty High Court 2007/12/20 Earlier verdict is scrapped, remanded to district court for a retrial. Supreme Court Later Actions |
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Case Name Location Date of Crime Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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November 2008 |
Hirui Naotake |
Possesion of stimulant drugs |
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Summary Note Information Needed The defendant was originally declared not guilty for a procedural reason-not being able to appoint a defense attorney. The high court reversed. Court Chronology Tokyo District Court Not Guilty Tokyo High Court 2010/06/07 Earlier verdict is scrapped, sentence of two years and ten months is instituted. Supreme Court |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Miura Case Los Angeles, CA (USA) 1981 1985 |
Miura Kazuyoshi 三浦和義 b. 1947 |
Murder (of wife) |
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Summary 1981 August 31 Miura's wife Kazumi is assaulted in an L.A. hotel. 1981 November 18, Miura is shot in leg, Kazumi is shot in the head. She loses consciousness and dies in a Japanese hospital on Nov. 30, 1982-about one year later. 1985 Miura arrested for assault (in Japan). Note: Japanese citizens can be tried for crimes committed overseas. See The Miura Case and Double Jeopardy: A Double Standard? Court Chronology District Court: 1985 Guilty of Assault- 6 years. 1988 Oct 20. Rearrested and charged with murder. 1994 Guilty. Sentenced to life imprisonment. High Court 1998 Not guilty Supreme Court 2003/March/5 Not Guilty of Murder (Confirmed) Later Actions 2008 February 22. Rearrested in Saipan 2008 October 10. Found dead in his cell in Los Angeles. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Chilean National 2001 August Tokyo Nagano |
A. M. (Name removed by defendant's request.) |
Theft ~~~~ |
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Summary Chilean A. M. was accused of abetting and participating in the theft of a necklace and then a car. The court found that no necklace was stolen, and that the defendant was not complicit in stealing an automobile. The prosecution appealed and A.M. was later found guilty. Court Chronology District Court 2003/05/29 Not Guilty. (Suwa Summary Court) High Court 2004/08/17 Guilty: Two Years of Labor Supreme Court 2004/12/14 Guilty Confirmed. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Osaka 2007/5/5 |
Oike Osamu 尾池治 |
Arson, Murder x 3 |
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Summary In the first trial, the judge found the DVD confession to be unreliable, and the existance of other suspects to be quite high. On appeal, this judgement was overturned. Court Chronology District Court 2010/Feb/16 Not Guilty High Court 2011/Feb/23 Guilty 17 Years Supreme Court Later Actions |
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Case Name Location Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Haga Kenji b. 1961 Watanabe Jiro b. 1955 |
Fraud/Blackmail ~~~~ No |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court Osaka 2008/11/28 Not Guilty High Court Osaka 2011/Jun/17 Haga: Guilty 6 Years.
Watanabe 2 Years Supreme Court Later Actions |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Chiba 2009/Nov |
安西喜久夫 Anzai Kikuo b. 1951 |
Smuggling of Stimulants (from Malaysia) |
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Summary Prosecutors demanded 12 Years imprisonment and a 6 million yen ($75,000) fine from a company president in possession of a metal box containing drugs which was to be given to a third party as a souvenir. NOTE: This was the first verdict of not guilty under the new mixed jury system instituted in 2009. The high court reversed the decision, and the Supreme Court overruled and declared the defendant not guilty. Court Chronology District Court 2010/June/23 Not Guilty High Court 2011/Mar/30 Guilty Supreme Court 2012 Not Guilty |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Yakuza Chief Case ~~~~~~~~~ Nagoya |
百瀬雅樹 Momose Masaki |
Possession of an illegal handgun |
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Summary Defendant claimed that another gang member brought a handgun and bullets into the home of his ex-wife. The district court agreed and the high court reversed, claiming that the gang member was a subordinate of the defendant. Court Chronology
District Court (Nagoya) 2018/03 14 Not Guilty - Mixed Jury Verdict High Court (Nagoya) 2018/09/05 Guilty Sentenced to 5.5 years. (Prosecution asked for 8 years) Supreme Court Not decided. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Tsuchiura Multiple Murder Case Ibaraki 2004/11/24 2004/11/25 |
Ijima Masaru 飯嶋勝 b. 1985 |
Murder x 3. ~~~~ Yes |
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Summary Charged with the murder of his parents and an older sister, the district court found that defendant suffered from schizophrenia. He was declared not guilty by reason of diminished responsibility 心神耗弱. The high court reversed and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Confirmed by the Supreme Court Court Chronology District Court (Mito) 2008/06/27 /March Not Guilty Prosecution demanded death. High Court (Tokyo) 2009/09/16 Guilty Sentenced to life imprisonment Supreme Court 2012/02/06 Confirmed. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Yonago Love Hotel Robbery Murder Case. 米子のホテル支配人 強殺事件 Yonago City, Tottori 2009/09/29 2013 |
Ishida Yoshimi 石田美実 b. 1957 age 52 at time of crime |
Murder and Robbery. |
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Summary Ishida was accused of robbing and murdering the director of the hotel where she was employed. The operator of a love hotel was attacked, and robbed of 430,000 yen. He never recovered consciousness and died six years later. The defendant, Ishida, was found in possession of 230 x 1000 yen ($10) notes. Court Chronology District Court 2016/07/01 Guilty-sentenced to 18 years High Court 2017/03/27 Not guilty. Supreme Court 2018/07/13 Overturns high court finding of not guilty, remands the case for further trial. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Tokyo 2010/Sep 8th Verdict of "not guilty" under the 2009 mixed jury system. 2nd mixed jury case of "not guilty" to be overturned. |
M. Luis Garcia aged 34 |
Importing stimulants and participation in an international drug cartel. |
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Summary The accused was charged with accepting a package containing six kilograms of stimulants and participating in an international cartel. Prosecutors demanded 15 years and a fine of 8 million yen. Court Chronology District Court 2010/07/01 Not Guilty 8th Verdict of "not guilty" under the mixed jury system. High Court 2011/12/08 Guilty Sentenced to 12 years and and 6 million yen ($50,000) fine. Supreme Court 2013/04/16 Confirmed. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Sekiguchi Drug Importation Case Narita Airport, Chiba pref |
Sekiguchi Sachio |
Drug Importation |
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Summary Sekiguchi was charged with bringing 6.2 kg of amphetamines from Canada. He was found not guilty in a mixed jury trial. The prosecution appealed and the high court sentenced him to 12 years. Court Chronology District Court 2013/02/08 Not Guilty. 5th mixed jury case of not guilty High Court 2014/03/02 Guilty 11 years and a fine of 6 million yen ($50,000) The fine is payable through work one day = 10,000 yen ($90). Supreme Court Confirmed The defendant is now incarcerated at Nagano Prison. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Shiki Mother-Child Arson Murder Case 志木母子放火殺人 Shiki city, Saitama pref Incident: 2008/12/03 Arrest: 2013/08/29 |
Yamano Teruyuki 山野 輝之 b. |
Arson, Murder |
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Summary The defendant was charged with arson and the murder of his wife and daughter. He was arrested nearly five years after the fire. Court Chronology District Court 2015/03/23 Not Guilty High Court 2016/07/14 Not guilty decision is overturned and remanded to the district court. Supreme Court 2017/02/08 Defendant's appeal is rejected. High court's decision is affirmed. Case to be retried in district court. RETRIAL: District Court (Saitama) 2019/10/31 Guilty Sentenced to Life Imprisonment. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? ~~~~ Incarcerated? |
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Osaka Ibaraki Daugher Death Osaka Ibaraki City Incident: 2014 June Arrest: 2014/Dec |
19 year old mother (name withheld: minor at time of crime). (stepfather) Kishimoto Yuki 岸本友希 |
Abandonment causing injury or death. (punishment of up to 5 years)Article 219 ~~~~~~~ Causing death through negligence Article 210 |
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Summary The mother was tried in a mixed jury trial and found innocent. The prosecution appealed, and the high court remanded the case back to the district court (the high court thought her guilty). The mother appealed to the Supreme Court, and in a very unusual decision, the Supreme Court overturned the remand and affirmed the district court decision. The mother's innocence was confirmed. The stepfather was charged with the same crime, but during the hearings, the prosecution also added the lesser crime of causing death through negligence which is much less severe. He was found guilty of the lesser charge and sentenced to one and half years (without labor), and the sentence was suspended for three years. This sentence was confirmed. Court Chronology District Court: Mother: not guilty 2015/Nov. (mixed jury verdict). Father: guilty 2016/01/28 Death through negligence. Note: this is a relatively minor crime punished by fine only. confirmed. High Court: Mother: not guilty verdict is overturned, case is remanded to DC. Supreme Court: Mother: HC decision is overturned, DC decision is affirmed, not guilty verdict is confirmed. Later Actions |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family / First) F = female |
Charges ~~~~ |
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Sekine Obsenity Case Tokyo 2016/05/10 |
Sekine Susumu M.D. 関根進 aged 40 at the time. |
Obscenity |
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Summary Sekine is charged with licking the breast of a female patient who underwent surgery for a mammary tumor. He denied the claims and was held in detention for 105 days. The defense claims the patient suffered from "postsurgical delirium." Noted criminal attorney Takashi Takano is defending Sekine who has received wide support from medical organizations. |
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Court Chronology |
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2019/02/20 |
District Court |
Not Guilty |
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2020/07/13 |
High Court |
Guilty: 2 years of labor |
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Supreme Court |
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Retrials |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family / First) F = female |
Charges ~~~~ |
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ATM 18 Billion Yen Fraud Case Fukuoka 2016/05/15 |
Yamaguchi 山口幸志 aged 44 at the time. |
Fraud/Embezzlement |
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Summary Yamaguchi was charged with withdrawing 78,300.000 ($850,000) yen from 72 ATM's using 46 separate cards. This was part of a larger fraud involving the withdrawal of 18 billion yen ($170 million) by a large group in 17 prefectures. The district court found that evidence of being an accomplice was lacking. The high court claimed that he received remuneration for participation and was guilty. |
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Court Chronology |
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2019/Nov |
District Court |
Not Guilty |
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2020/11/05 |
High Court |
Guilty: 10 years of labor |
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Supreme Court |
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Retrials |
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Case Name Location Date of Crime Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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2004 |
Onishi Shouhei + 2 others |
Illegal Entry Trespassing |
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Summary Three activists passed out leaflets at a Self-Defense forces housing complex protesting the use of Self Defense forces in Iraq . 41 days later, they were arrested . Despite the triviality of the charge, the defendants were confined for 75 days. Court Chronology District Court 2004/12/16 Not guilty High Court 2005/12/09 Decision reversed: guilty. Defendants were fined: 100,000 yen (x2) and 200,000 yen (x1). Supreme Court 2008/04/12 Guilty Conviction is Confirmed. Later Actions |
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Case Name Location Date of Crime Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Tokyo 2004/12/23 |
Arakawa Yosei |
Trespassing ~~~~~~ |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 2006/11/28 Not Guilty High Court 2007/12/11 Guilty Supreme Court 2009 Guilty decision is confirmed. |
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