WRONGFUL ARRESTS AND CONVICTIONS IN JAPAN:
A DATA BASE
A chart prepared by the
Japan Innocence and Death Penalty Information Center
日本冤罪・死刑情報センター
The following data base contains over 200 cases which are alleged, or have been proven, to be miscarriages of justice. They are arranged in alphabetical order. Please feel free to send corrections and additions. (Note: "enzai" means wrongful conviction in the Japanese language.)
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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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Anzai Chiba 2009/Nov |
安西喜久夫 Anzai Kikuo b. 1951 |
Smuggling 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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Artificial Leg Rape Case. Iizuka city, Fukuoka pref. 2008/Jan 2008/Feb |
Kitashiro Takayuki 北代貴之 |
Rape ~~~~~ No |
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Summary The defendant was charged with raping a 14 year old girl. The prosecution asked for a term of 3 years and 6 months. The high court ruled that defendant's false leg made it impossible for the event to have taken place in an automobile. Note: The second finding of guilty by a district court in a remanded case is very rare. Court Chronology District Court: Guilty High Court: 2010/July Defense's appeal is sustained. Case is remanded. District Court: 2012/Jan Guilty High Court: 2012/10/31 Not Guilty. |
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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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Ashibetsu Hokkaido 1952/07/29 |
Ijiri Masao |
Endangering train traffic/possession of explosives. |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 1956/07/16 Guilty Sentenced to prison High Court 1963/12/20 Not Guilty Supreme Court |
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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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Ashikaga 足利 Tochigi 1990/May 1991/Dec 2 |
Sugaya Toshikazu born 1947 Exonerated Time Incarcerated: 17.5 years |
Murder & rape of a four year old girl |
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Summary In May of 1990, a deceased four year old girl's body was found along the bank of a river. She had been sexually molested. 19 months later, faced with a lingering murder/molestation cold case, police extract a confession from the day care center's bus driver. Though the DNA evidence from the victim's underwear excluded Sugaya, the court weighed the confession and ordered a sentence of life imprisonment. Court Chronology District Court 1993/07/07 Life Imprisonment Utsunomiya D.C. High Court 1997 " Tokyo Supreme Court 2000/07/17 Confirmed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Later Actions: 2002/Dec/20 Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) recognizes the case as a miscarriage of justice and offers official support. 2006/08/21 Civil suit against the state's forensic witness opens. 2008/02/13 Retrial Request Rejected (Utsunomiya DC). 2009/June/23 DNA evidence indicates Sugaya is not culprit-released from prison. 2010/03/26 Exonerated 2011/January State pays 80,000,000 yen ($750,00) for time wrongfully served. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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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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Miyazaki |
Yamamoto Itaru Aged 53 |
Coercing a criminal defendant to remain silent. |
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Summary Yamamoto is suspected of telling the client, who was indicted as a member of a billing-fraud ring, "Keep silent. Otherwise your family and friends may be in trouble." Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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 |
Yasuda Yoshihiro b. 1947 |
Obstructing the return of financial assets to the government |
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Summary Yasuda, 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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Baker Narita Airport April 2002 " |
Nicholas Baker (aged 32) British National |
Importation and possession of controlled substances |
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Summary Caught with 41,120 tablets of ecstasy and 990 grams of cocaine at Narita airport using a suitcase fitted with a false bottom, Baker swears he was duped by a companion who accompanied him to Japan. The companion was arrested in Belgium in May 2002 for a similar ruse, and has since died. Baker was placed in solitary confinement for10 months for refusing to confess. Note: The judge overseeing the case had not issued a decision of not guilty in ten years. Court Chronology District Court 2003/06/12 14 years High Court Supreme Court Later Actions Baker was returned to England to serve out the remainder of his sentence. |
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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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Beamon 1994 |
Beamon Terry American National |
Murder |
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Summary American Karate Instructor Terry Beamon and his wife Jewel Curtis, arrested in 2000, were charged with beating their 4 year old son to death in 1994. Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Not Guilty April 3, 2008. Later Actions |
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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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Benin Smuggling Case |
Sawyer, Robert Joffrey aged 54 |
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Summary Prosecutors demanded a sentence of 13 years and 7 million yen. Court Chronology District Court 2011/Jun/16 Not Guilty High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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British Woman Narita Airport November 2008 " |
British National (F) |
Smuggling |
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Summary A 31 year old British Woman was charged with smuggling 1.4 kilograms of heroin from Malaysia Court Chronology District Court 2010/February Guilty 8 years and 4 million yen ( $50,000 fine.) High Court 2010/12/16 Not Guilty (Confirmed) Later Actions |
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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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Chan Kumatani Case |
Chan Ie Jun |
Murder of a Korean woman. |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court |
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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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Chiba city Nurses Case. Chiba city, Chiba pref. 2012 |
Sugawara Takumi 菅原巧 Tanaka Kiyoi 田中清 |
Murder ~~~~~~ No. |
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Summary Two older male nurses were accused of murdering a patient at a psychiatric hospital. Court Chronology District Court Tanaka: Not Guilty Sugawara: High Court Tanaka: Not Guilty. Sugawara: dismissal of charges as statute of limitations exceeded. Later Actions |
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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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Chiba University Salmonella Poisoning (千葉大学チフス菌事件) 1966/04/07 |
Suzuki Michiru 充 age 42 |
Inadvertent poisonings with the Salmonella bacteria |
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Summary A doctor at Chiba University hospital was charged with infecting food and beverages with Salmonella bacteria. He confessed. Chifusu is a Japanese rendering of typhi. Salmonella is the bacteria responsible for typhoid. Court Chronology District Court 1973/04/20 Not guilty Chiba DC High Court 1976/04/30 Guilty 6 years Supreme Court |
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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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(No Case name) Osaka 2008/Feb/5 death of baby 2012/Nov/1 Convicted ( 4.5 years afterward) |
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Murder of 5 month old infant. ~~~~~ Yes |
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Summary Daido was convicted of killing his 5 month old son while his wife was away. Court Chronology District Court Osaka DC 2012 Guilty Sentenced to 15 years. High Court Osaka HC 2016/Apr/30 Sentenced overturned. Exonerated. Supreme Court None. |
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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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Dutchman Drug Smuggling Case Tokyo 2020 May 2020 May |
van Minderhout / RonalduTsu |
Carrying 1 kg of stimulant drugs into Japan. |
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Summary After arriving at Haneda airport, a packet of drugs was found in the 45 year old's suitcase. He claims he brought it at an acquiantance's behest, and did not know the contents. The district court sentenced him to 7 years and and fine of 3 million yen ($27,000). The high court overturned the case. |
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Court Chronology |
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2021 |
District Court |
7 years imprisonment and 3 milion yen ($27,000) fine. |
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2021/04/26 |
High Court |
Not Guilty |
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Supreme Court |
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Retrials |
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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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Endo Niigata 1975 |
Endo Yuichi |
Professional Negligence |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 1982/09/03 6 months imprisonment suspended for two years High Court Affirmed Supreme Court 1989/04/21 Not guilty. Later Actions Endo brought suit seeking state redress for wrongful arrest. All three courts rejected his claim. |
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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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Hokkaido 2000/03/17 Released 2018/08/12! |
Okoshi Minako F (age 29 when arrested) 大越美奈子 |
Murder ~~~~~~ No. |
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Summary The charred body of a 24 year old woman was found along a country road. Police claimed to find the victim's locker key in the Okoshi's car's glove compartment. One week after undergoing six days of exhaustive and abusive voluntary questioning , the traumatized Okoshi checks into a hospital for psychological treatment. While hospitatlized, she files suit against the police. One day after leaving the hospital, she is vengefully arrested and charged with murder. Court Chronology District Court 2003/03/26 Sapporo 16 years of labor. High Court 2005/09/29 Sapporo Affirmed. Supreme Court 2006/09/27 Confirmed. RETRIALS Retrial #1 District Court 2012/10/05 Retrial Filed District Court 2014/04/21 Retrial Rejected. High Court 2015/07/17 Special Protest is Rejected Supreme Court 2016/06/13 Confirmed Retrial #2 District Court 2017/01/10 Second Appeal is filed. 2017/10/18 The JFBA forms a task force in support of the case. District Court 2018/03/20 Second Appeal is rejected. 2018/08/12 Ohkoshi is released after serving out her sentence. Supreme Court 2021/04/12 Confirmed Civil Suits 2007/01/23 Tokyo DC fines Publisher Shichosha 2.2 million yen ($22,000) and suspends publication of a book accusing defendant Okoshi of pyromania. 2007/10/18 Tokyo HC Overturns suspension and reduces fine to 1.1 million yen. SC confirms this decision on 2009/03/03. |
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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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Enaimura (Enai Village) 榎井村 1946/08/21 1946/08/28 Kagawa |
Yoshida Osamu 吉田 + One Accomplice |
Murder, home invasion. |
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Summary Two men entered a home and shot the resident. Yoshida, who had been previously been charged with home invasion and possession of a firearm, was arrested. Court Chronology District Court 1947/12/08 Life Imprisonment (prosecution demanded death). Accomplice sentenced to six years. High Court 1948/11/09 Sentenced reduced to 15 years. Supreme Court 1949/04/28 Confirmed Confirmed Later Actions 1955 Yoshida released in an amnesty as a result of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. 1977/03/18 Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) recognizes the case as a miscarriage of justice and offers official support. 1990/03/19 Takamatsu HC grants retrial. 1994/03/22 Defendant declared not guilty in retrial. |
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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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Fujisawa Arson Murder Case. Fujisawa city, Kanagawa pref. 1993/12/14 2001/Feb 7 years after suspected crime. |
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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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Fukui pref. 2019/05/08 2019/Nov |
Hata Kenji age 39 畑賢治 |
Arson. Insurance Fraud |
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Summary Defendant was suspected of setting fire to collect 50,000,000 yen ($500,000) in insurance. Court Chronology District Court 2019/07/12 Not guilty. (Prosecution demanded 5 years.) High Court Supreme Court |
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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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Fujimoto 1952/07/07 |
Fujimoto Masuo |
Murder |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 1953/08/29 Death High Court 1954/12/14 Death Supreme Court 1957/08/23 Confirmed. Later Actions 1962/09/13 3rd request for retrial denied (Kumamoto D. C.) 1962/09/14 Executed. |
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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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布川 Ibaragi 1967/08/30 |
SAKURAI Shoji (20) Arrested 1967/10/10 SUGIYAMA Takao (20) Arrested 1967/10/16 Exonerated: 2011 Time Served: 29 years |
Murder Robbery |
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Summary A 62 year old woman was found strangled in her home in the village of Fukawa located in Tonegawa-cho, Ibaragi-prefecture. After investigating well over a hundred people, police eliminated all but some ten or more from a list of suspects. Sakurai, aged 20 at the time, was under arrest for theft of a belt and a single pair of trousers. He was interrogated from morning till night, and after five days, confessed to the murder with with Sugiyama as accomplice. Court Chronology District Court 1970/10/06 Life Imprisonment High Court 1973/12/20 Life Imprisonment Supreme Court 1978/07/03 Confirmed Later Actions 1983/12/23 Request for retrial requested 1996 Defendants are paroled 2005/09/21 Retrials Granted 2007/12/15 Supreme Court affirms retrial request. 2011/May/25 Exonerated! 2015 Sugiyama passes away. 2019/May 27 Tokyo D.C Sakurai awarded $690,000 (76 million yen) in state redress civil suit. 2021/Aug/27 Tokyo H.C. affirms civil suit with minor changes. |
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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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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 1990/09/26 Not Guilty. High Court 1995/02/09 Not Guilty decision is overturned. Sentenced to 7 years. Supreme Court 1997/11/12 Appeal Rejected. Sentence Confirmed Later Actions 2003/03/05 Maekawa finishes sentence and is released. 2004/03/19 JFBA endorses case as a miscarriage of justice, begins official support. 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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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1947 |
Nishi Takeo Ishii Kenjiro |
murder, robbery |
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Summary After two clothes merchants were shot in downtown Fukuoka, seven men were arrested. Five were sentenced to various terms, Nishi and Ishii were sentenced to death. Ishi, a former soldier, admitted the shooting as self defense. Nishi was nowhere near the scene. Court Chronology District Court Death High Court Death Supreme Court Later Actions 1975/06 Ishii's sentence is commuted to life imprisonment. Nishi is executed. 1989 Ishii is paroled. 2005 May. 30 years after Nishi's execution, appeal is filed. |
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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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Fukuoka Yakuza Case 2008 Fukuoka 2008/July |
Takada Shinichi b. 1963 Nakahara Yoshio b. 1965 |
Murder, Confinement, Battery |
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Summary In July of 2008, the body of Ito Takanori, aged 42, was found in a wooded area in Fukuoka. In a separate case, a defendant Nakahara Kazufumi, sentenced to 28 years, implicated the above two defendants as masterminds. (Kazufumi was the adopted son of Yoshio.) The court found the above defendants guilty of lesser crimes, (Tanaka-confinement and battery 5.5 years; Nakahara-confinement only 4 years), but tossed the charge of murder and the prosecution's demand for 30 years stating that Kazufumi's confession to police was unreliable. Court Chronology District Court (Fukuoka) 2011/06/29 Murder Not Guilty High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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Fukuoka Bicycle Accident 2001 |
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Obscenity |
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Summary After colliding and falling off her bicycle, a high school girl claimed obscenity (molestation ) against a man in the accident. Court Chronology District Court Guilty High Court Guilty Supreme Court Currently under review. Later Actions |
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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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Fukuoka July, 2008 |
Takada Shinichi b. 1963 Nakahara Yoshio b. 1965 |
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Summary In July of 2008, the body of Ito Takanori, aged 42, was found in a wooded area in Fukuoka. In a separate case, a defendant Nakahara Kazufumi, sentenced to 28 years, implicated the above two defendants as masterminds. (Kazufumi was the adopted son of Yoshio.) The court found the above defendants guilty of lesser crimes, (Tanaka-confinement and battery: 5.5 years; Nakahara-confinement: 4 years), but tossed the charge of murder and the prosecution's demand for 30 years stating that Kazufumi's confession to police was unreliable. Court Chronology District Court 2011/Jun/28 Confinement and Battery: Guilty Murder: Not Guilty. High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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Futamata 二俣 50/01/07 |
SUDOU Masao 須藤満雄 Age 18 at time of the crime. |
Murder Robbery |
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Summary After a family of four, including two young children, was murdered, police arrested 18 year old Sudou Masao. He confessed after being tortured but withdrew the confession at the trial. This is one of four egregious wrongful arrest cases which occurred in Shizuoka. See also Sachiura, Shimada, and Hakamada cases. Court Chronology District Court 1950/12/27 Death High Court 1951/09/29 Death Supreme Court 1953/11/27 Remanded to district court. Later Actions 1956/9/20 Shizuoka District Court Not Guilty 1957/12/26 Tokyo High Court. Prosecution's appeal is rejected. Innocence is confirmed. |
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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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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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Ten Males |
Battery, attempted rape ~~~~~ Yes, all ten. |
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Summary A 15 year old girl, as an excuse to meet a male acquaintance, informs her mother that she will be home late due to a train accident. When the mother discovers this is a hoax, the girl then says that she was raped. The next day, a report is filed with police, who ignore the claim. Over the next 3 months, ten youths are arrested, interrogated and confess. One year into the trial, the victim asserts that the incident occured one week earlier than stated. Court Chronology Family Court: Four defendents are sent to reformatory, two others to miscellaneous treatments. District Court 05/Oct Guilty four boys are being tried in district court. High Court 06/12/13 Appeals case begins. (Tokyo HC) Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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Gotsu 江津 1962/10/08 1962/11/08 |
Ushiro |
Murder, abandoning the corpse |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 1966/02/01 Life Imprisonment High Court 1971/01/28 Appeal is rejected. Supreme Court 1973/09/25 Confirmed. Later Actions 1976/02/14 Request for Retrial filed. 1987/02/03 1987/02/05 1991/08/01 Ushiro dies. |
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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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(AKA: Tokyo OL Murder Case) OL = Office Lady Tokyo 1997/03/19 |
Govinda Prasad Mainali Nepali citizen Exonerated! Time Served: 12.5 years. |
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 the District Court and High Court decisions was extremely abnormal for a Japanese court. Court Chronology District Court 2000/04/14 Not Guilty Special Order 2000/06/27 Supreme Court rules that Govinda should remain incarcerated as he might flee. High Court 2000/12/22 Guilty: Life Imprisonment Supreme Court 2003/10/20 Sentence is confirmed.
Later Actions 2005/03/24: Retrial filed in Tokyo HC. 2006/10/17 Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) recognizes the case as a miscarriage of justice and offers official support. 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. Remuneration: 2013 Awarded ¥68 million（$600,000) for 15 years wrongful imprisonment =12,500 yen for each day. |
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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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Nagane Yuta 根祐太 Age 31 at time. |
Arson ~~~~~ No. |
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Summary The charge was setting fire to a building where his estranged wife and child were taking shelter with the wife's colleage. The court found no evidence linking the defendant to the case. Prosecution demanded 8 years. Court Chronology District Court 2019/Jan/20 Not guilty. High Court Supreme Court |
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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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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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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袴田 1966/06/30 Shizuoka Shimizu City Arrested 66/08/18 |
Hakamada Iwao b. 1936 (current age 83) (Currently paroled from death row.) |
Murder x 4 Arson, Robbery ~~~~ Yes |
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Summary Charged with the stabbing murder of a family of four and arson. Insists on innocence. Cause celebre among wrongful arrests in Japan. Former ranked professional boxer. Strongly supported by many groups, and the subject of many publications and documentaries. Listed in the Guiness Book of World Records. 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 1968/09/11 Death Shizuoka District Court High Court 1976/05/18 Death Tokyo High Court Supreme Court 1980/11/29 Confirmed Later Actions First Appeal for Retrial: 1981/04/20 Request for Retrial is submitted 1981/11/13 JFBA perceives a miscarriage of justice and launches an investigative committee. 1994/08/09 Request for Retrial is rejected 1994/08/12 Protest lodged with High Court. 2004/08/26 Protest is rejected. 2004/08/27 Protest lodged with Supreme Court 2005/12/07 Petition for Pardon to the Ministry of Justice. 2008/03/24 Supreme Court rejects protest. Retrial denial is confirmed. Second Appeal for Retrial: 2008/04/25 Second retrial appeal is filed (Shizuoka District Court). 2014/03/27 Shizuoka District Court grants retrial and a stay of execution. Hakamada is paroled. 2014/03/31 Prosecution lodges protest with Tokyo High Court. 2018/06/11 Tokyo High Court overturns district court decision to open retrial. 2018/06/18 Defense files special protest with Supreme Court. Currently being adjudicated. |
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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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Hanamaki 花巻事件 |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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Haneda 羽田 (羽田女高生殺人事件) |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
晴山 Hokkaido, Tsukigata 1972/74 Arrested in 1974 |
Hiromoto Haruyama (32) |
Murder Rape x2 ~~~~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary Haruyama was arrested in 1974 for assaulting and injuring a 40-year-old woman in the Hokkaido town of Naie, Hokkaido Prefecture in May that year. He later confessed to raping and strangling a 19-year-old cooking school student in the town of Tsukigata, Hokkaido Prefecture, in May 1972 and a 19-year-old department-store worker in Sunagawa in August the same year. But during his first trial in the Sapporo District Court, Haruyama withdrew the confessions and denied having committed the crimes. Court Chronology District Court Death High Court Death Supreme Court Death Later Actions 1994/July/ Request for retrial filed 2003/Jan/Request for retrial rejected. 10 new pieces of evidence submitted by Haruyama's lawyers. 2004/06/04 Dies of illness. |
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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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Hasaki 波崎 1963/08/26 |
Tomiyama Arrested 63/10/23 |
Murder |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 1966/12/24 Death High Court 1973/07/06 Death Supreme Court 1976/04/01 Death sentenced confirmed Later Actions 1980 Retrial Requested 1984 Retrial Request is Rejected. Protest lodged. 1985 Protest Rejected 1987 Second Retrial Requested 2000 Second Retrial Request is rejected. Protest lodged. 2003 Defendant dies in incarceration, aged 86. |
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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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2004 |
Hayashi Keiki (M.D) |
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Summary Charged with “internet-based sales of unlicensed drug” Court Chronology District Court 2004 guilty High Court 2005 Appeal Rejected. Supreme Court 2006 Appeal Rejected Later Actions |
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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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Kaneko Fumiko 金子文子 Boku( Park ) Yeol 朴烈 Arrest: 1924/02/14 |
Same as case name. |
Violation of the Bomb and Explosion Law-attempting to kill the emperor. |
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Summary After the great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923, many Korean residents were arrested and massacred. Park was a philisophical anarchist, and Kaneko was his lover. Court Chronology District Court 1926/03/25 Death
1926/04/05 Commutation: Sentences reduced to life imprisonment. 1926/07/22 Kaneko hangs herself in prison. Later Actions 1945/Oct/27 Park released from prison. (Served 19 years) 1946~1949: Served as head of a Korean Residents Union. Later: deported to North Korea. For more information on the life of Kaneko, please see her remarkable writings in "Women on the Way to the Gallows" translated my Hane Miko and published by University of California Press. ISBN 9780520084216 See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumiko_Kaneko |
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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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Katagami Case Katagami city (潟上市 ) Akita Pref 2007/Dec/14 2016/Feb/28 (Note: 8 years later) |
(F) Hayamizu Haru (b. 1952) Age 55 at time of the arrest. ~~~~~~ Yes |
Murder ~~~~ No |
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Summary Hayamizu was charged with killing another woman out of spite due to a love quarrel. The DNA evidence was submitted 5 years after the crime, and she was not arrested until 8 years had passed. Court Chronology District Court 2017/12/12 Guilty Sentence: 17 years. High Court 2018/12 Confirmed
Supreme Court Ruling pending Later Actions |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kitagata or Saga Multiple Female Murder Case. Hoppo Town, Saga Pref. 1987~1989 2002/June (Six hours before the statute of limitations expired.) |
Matsue Teruhiko b. 1963 |
Murder x 3 ~~~~ Yes, in 1989. 67 page confession Japanese: http://yabusaka.moo.jp/sagajosei.htm |
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Summary In 1989, police discovered the bodies of three women, ages 37~50, who were murdered between 1987~89. Matsue, already in prison for a narcotics charge, was subjected to prolonged interrogation and signed a confession. He was not arrested until 2002, six hours before the statute of limitations expired. Court Chronology District Court 2005 May 10 Not Guilty Note: This is only the second case is postwar history when a demand for death was adjudicated 'not guilty.' High Court: 2007/03/09. Prosecution's appeal is denied. Not guilty verdict is confirmed. Later Actions Saga district court awards Matsue 5,800,000 yen (aproximately $55,000) for 464 days confinement- 1 day x 12,500 yen ($110). |
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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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平野母子殺害放火事件 Hirano Mother-Daughter Murder Case Osaka April 14, 2002 July 13, 2002 (Note: 7 months later) |
MORI Takemitsu 森健充実 |
Murder x2, Arson ( More ) |
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Summary On April 14, 2002, 28 year old Mayumi Mori and her 1 year old son were found dead. Seven months later, Takemitsu Mori, an Osaka prison guard, and step-father in law of the decedents, was arrested and charged with murder. The case was based entirely on circumstantial evidence. The police also admitted to losing 71 of 72 cigarette butts initially included in the investigation. |
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Court Chronology |
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|
District Court |
2005/08 |
Life Imprisonment. |
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High Court |
2006/12 |
Death |
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Supreme Court |
2010/04/27 |
Decision is overturned |
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District Court |
2012/03/15 |
Not Guilty |
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High Court |
2017/03/02 |
Not Guilty |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
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 2009/09 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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Hoshino Obscenity 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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Tokyo ~~~~~ 1971/11/14 1975/ August (Nearly 4 years later) |
Hoshino Fumiaki 星野 文昭 Passed Away 2019/05/31 Charge: Murder ~~~~ Has support association which publishes a monthly newspaper: "Hoshino Shinbun" Support Association's HP: |
http://fhoshino.u.cnet-ta.ne.jp |
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Summary During a protest of the Okinawa Sovereignity Return Treaty, a riot policeman was hit by a fire bomb and died. Hoshino, a leader of the demonstration, was charged with slugging the officer and ordering the throwing of the fire bomb. The arrest did not occur for nearly 4 years. Six other demonstrators, arrested as collaboraters, implicated Hoshino in statements to the police. All six would later later retract these in court. Court Chronology District Court 1979/08/21 Sentenced to 20 years High Court 1983/07/13 Life in Prison Supreme Court 1987/07/17 Confirmed. Later Actions 1996/04/17 Files for Retrial to Tokyo High Court 2000/02/22 Retrial is rejected 2009/11/27 Files Second Petition for retrial. 2019/05/31 Hoshino passes away. 2019/June Wife files civil suit seeking redress for medical negligence. Note: A sentence of life imprisonment permits bail after 18-20 years if the prisoner takes responsibility and writes an apology. Hoshino maintained his innocence and refused to apologize. He passed away after nearly 45 years of incarceration on May 31, 2019. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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東住吉 1995 Osaka |
Tatsuhiro Boku (M 29) Keiko Aoki (F 29) |
Murder, Arson , Insurance Fraud ~~~~~~ Yes. |
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Summary On July 22, 1995, a house fire killed the 11 year old daughter of the defendants. Because she was insured for15 million yen ($125,000), and since they were unmarried and living together-- a Japanese and Korean in a common law marriage--the police surmised conspiracy, and violently extracted confessions to arson, murder and insurance fraud. Court Chronology District Court 1999/03/30 Boku: Life Imprisonment 1999/05/18 Aoki: Life Imprisonment High Court 2004/11/02 Aoki: Life Imprisonment 2004/12/20 Boku: Life Imprisonment Supreme Court 2006/10/27 Boku Appeal is rejected 2006/12/11 Aoki Appeal is rejected. RETRIALS: District Court 2009/07/07 Retrials are filed. District Court: 2012/03/07 Retrials Granted. Sentences are stayed allowing defendants to leave prison. Prosecution appeals both decisions. Osaka High court overrules the stays. Both defendants are forced to spend 3.5 years more in prison. 2012/07/12 JFBA endorses case as a miscarriage of justice, begins official support. High Court 2015/10/23 High Court affirms retrial and grants stays of sentences. Aoki and Boku are released from prison. District Court: 2016/04/28 Boku's retrial begins. Prosecution declines further litigation. 2016/05/02 Aoki's retrial begins. Prosecution declines further litigation. 2016/08/10 Not Guilty. Defendants are exonerated. Later Actions (Civil Suits) 1) Criminal Indemnity Law. 2017/ 03/31 Osaka District Court both defendants compensation of 91,900,000 yen ($850,000) according to the Criminal Indemnity Law. The calculation ( 12,500 yen/day ($110) x 7352 days (Sept 1995~Oct 2015) = 91,900,000 yen ($850,000) 2017 Aoki files state redress suit seeking damages (146,000,000 yen = $1,300,000) for wrongful prosecution, and a second suit against the Honda motor company whose defective van lead to her daughter's death. NOTE: The following suits were brought by Aoki only. 2) Suit Against the Honda Motor Corporation. 2018/10/26 Osaka DC Civil suit against Honda is deemed to be outside the statute of limitations. 2020/10/16 Osaka HC confirms DC's decision, rejects appeal. 2021/06/26 SC affirms both decisions. 3) State Redress Suit: 2021/09/16 Last hearing. Decision is expected in March 2022. |
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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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Hikinoguchi Kitakyushu City 2004/03/24 |
Katagishi Mitsuko (F) b. 1948 |
Murder Arson ~~~~~ Yes |
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Summary After a fire destroyed the home of an alcoholic infirm man, the police arrested his sister upon noticing that she recently withdrew 2,000,000 yen from his savings account. The only evidence in this case is a witness with a lengthy history of crime and drug addiction who claims hearing a jailhouse confession. Court Chronology District Court 2008/03/05 Not Guilty: Arson and Murder. Guilty: withdrawing funds High Court Prosecution abandons arson and murder charges. Defendant appeals financial charges. Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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Himeji Post Office Robbery Himeji city, Hyogo pref. 2001/06/19 2001/06/20 |
Nigerian national (age 25 at time of crime) |
Armed robbery of a post office ~~~~~~~ No. |
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Summary Two black men wearing ski masks robbed a post office with toy guns, absconded, and put the money and other evidence in the defendant's garage. After Julius was arrested, one of the robbers came forward, confessed, and implicated a separate Nigerian as the accomplice. Prosecutors pushed forward, prosecuted, and convicted Julius. NOTE: This case has been endorsed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as a proven miscarriage of justice. ( See the list ) Court Chronology District Court 2004/01/09 Guilty 6 years. High Court 2005/12/08 Appeal is rejected. Supreme Court 2006/04/25 Confirmed. Later Actions 2009/01/17 Transferred to immigration detention after serving out sentence. Currently, on parole. First Appeal for Retrial: 2012/03/02 Retrial filed. Kobe District Court. 2013/04/19 JFBA endorses case as a miscarriage of justice, begins official support. 2014/03/28 Retrial rejected. Kobe District Court. 2014/04/03 Special Protest lodged. Osaka High Court. 2016/03/15 Osaka High Court overturns the district court's decision and remands the case. 2018/April Retrial request begins. Kobe District Court. 2020/06/15 Retrial request is rejected. Special Protest lodged with the Osaka High Court. 2021/06/30 Osaka HC reverses its earlier decision and rejects the protest. 2021/July Special Protest is lodged with the Supreme Court. Civil Suit Filings 2018-State Redress Suit ( civil suit) filed. Kobe District Court 2019/06/16 Civil suit is dismissed. (Note: criminal retrial and civil suits were dismissed within 24 hours of each other.) |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Islam Mohamed Himu |
1) Falsifying a notary registration. 2) Illegal employment of two employees. |
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Summary Though held for 43 days, no charges were filed in the first case, and he was fined in the second case. He was falsely vilified in the media for close relations with al-Qaida. Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions 2006 The Tokyo District Court ordered Kyodo News on Thursday to pay 1.65 million yen in compensation |
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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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日野町事件 Shiga 1984/12/28 1987/12/29 |
Sakahara Hiromu Died in prison Dec. 2012 (age 75) |
Murder / Robbery ~~~~~ Yes. |
|
Summary Three years and one day after the robbery of a small bar and the murder of its elderly proprietress, police began questioning Sakahara, a former regular customer. Sakahara was mentally impaired and had never committed a crime. After three days of voluntary, yet abusive police questioning, a confession was extracted. This case has been endorsed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as a proven miscarriage of justice. ( See the list ) Court Chronology District Court 1995/06/30 Life Imprisonment High Court 1997/05/30 Life Imprisonment Supreme Court 2000/09/27 Confirmed Later Actions First Appeal for Retrial: 2002/03/15 JFBA endorses case as a miscarriage of justice, begins official support. 2006/03/27 Appeal for retrial is denied. Otsu D.C 2011 Appeal for retrial is denied. Osaka H.C. 2011/03/18 Sakahara dies in prison (age 75). 2011/03/30 Osaka High Court decides to close the case. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Second Appeal for Retrial: 2012/03/30 Sakahara's family files second appeal for retrial filed with Otsu D.C. 2018/07/11 2nd request for retrial is granted. Otsu District Court. 2018/07/17 Prosecution files immediate protest to the Osaka High Court. Current status: under review. |
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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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Hyogo: Kobe 6th Verdict of Not Guilty under the Mixed Jury system. |
Hirashima Masahira 平島正成 aged 56 |
Theft and bodily injury. Prosecution requested 8 years. |
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Summary Charged with theft and causing serious bodily injury-grabbing a woman's handbag and causing injury by dragging. Court Chronology District Court 2011/05/24 Not Guilty High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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Hirosaki University 1949/08/26 Aomori |
那須隆 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Later Actions 1963 Paroled 1971 Real culprit comes forward. 1971 Japan Federation of Bar Associations establishes a support committee. 1974 Sendai High Court refuses retrial. 1976 Separate high court bench opens retrial 1977/02/15 Not Guilty Sendai High Court ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1981/04 (Aomori D.C). Plaintiff receives 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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Hiroshima Port Ferry Officer ~~~~ Hiroshima 1993/12/20 |
二間高男 |
Murder, robbery ~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 97/7/30 Not guilty (Hiroshima) High Court 2001/04/24 Not guilty (Hiroshima) Supreme Court |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
道庁爆発事件 1976/03/02 |
Ohmori Katsuhisa (26) 大森勝久 |
Murder, Bombing ~~~~ No |
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Summary On March 02, 1976, a bomb killed two and injured many in the Hokkaido Prefectural Office. Police searched the house of Ohmori, a suspected Red Army member, and found chloric acid ingredients used for herbicides. Evidence in this case is extremely impoverished. Defendant insists he is innocent. Court Chronology District Court 1983/03/29 Death (Sapporo) High Court 1988/01/21 Appeal Denied (Death) (Sapporo) Supreme Court 1994/07/15 Appeal Denied (Death Sentence Confirmed) Later Actions 2002/07/30 Files for retrial 2011/12/22 Retrial Rejected. Supreme Court. 2016/03/28 Second petition for retrial rejected. On death row in the Sapporo Detention Center |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
also called the Sendai Muscle Relaxant Case Sendai city, Miyagi pref. 2000 2001/Jan/06 |
Mori Daisuke 守大助 Born 1971 Currently incarcerated at the Chiba prison |
Murder x1 Attempted Murder x 4 ~~~~ Yes. Retracted soon afterward. |
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Summary Mori, a male nurse, is accused of killing an elderly patient (F age 89) and attempting to murder four others (F ages1, 11, and M ages 4 and 45) by administering an intravenous muscle relaxant. Despite finding the defendant's confession to "be guided by the interrogators . . .and that the motive remains unclear," the judge handed down a life sentence. Note: The district court trial phase had 155 hearings. This case is endorsed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as a proven miscarriage of justice. ( See the list ) Court Chronology 2004/03/30 Life Imprisonment. Sendai District Court 2005 September: Hearings begin. Sendai High Court 2005 October 9 After only four hearings, the judge summarily terminates proceedings and announces March 22, 2006 as decision day. The defense team walks out of court and files for recusal . 2006/03/22 Sentence affirmed. Sendai High Court. 2008/02/25 Sentence confirmed. Supreme Court Later Actions First Appeal for Retrial: 2012/02/10 Retrial filed. Sendai District Court 2014/03/25 Retrial rejected. Sendai District Court 2014/03/28 Special Protest Filed. Sendai High Court. 2018/02/28 Special Protest Rejected. Sendai High Court. 2018/03/05 Special Protest filed with the Supreme Court. Currently under review. |
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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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Hong Woman's Drug Case Sapporo 2019/May |
LIU Fung Ling (age 32) (F) 廖鳳齡 Resident of Hong Kong |
Importation of 2 kg of stimulants from the U.S. |
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Summary Prosecution demanded 12 years and a 4 million yen ($35,000) fine. |
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Court Chronology |
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Sapporo 2020/June |
District Court |
Not Guilty. (Confirmed) |
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Fukuoka 1994/10 |
Ide Kenichi 井手健一 born 1971 |
Accomplice to Murder |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court Life Imprisonment High Court 2008/04/22 Not Guilty Later Actions 2006 The Tokyo District Court ordered Kyodo News to pay 1.65 million yen in compensation |
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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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Iwate Hospital Case 岩手病院人工呼吸器停止事件 1999/09/10 2001/11/27 |
Fujimura Tazuko (F) |
Professional Negligence Resulting in Death. ~~~~ ? |
|
Summary A patient at the hospital was found dead after a respirator stopped functioning. The defendant, a nurse, was not indicted until 2001/11/27, a full two years after the Incident. Court Chronology District Court Eight months in prison, suspended for two years. High Court Confirmed. Supreme Court 2005/12/19 Appeal is rejected, sentence 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? ~~~~ Incarcerated? |
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Osaka Ibaraki Daughter 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 remand decision is overturned, and original DC decision is affirmed. Not guilty verdict is confirmed. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Iizuka Double Girls Murder Case 飯塚２女児 殺人事件 Fukuoka 1992/02/20 1994/09/23 (Note: 2 years and 7 months later.) |
久間三千年 Born 1938 |
Murder x 2 ~~~~~ No. |
|
Summary Executed on 2008/10/28. Kuma maintained his innocence. Note: execution in the short span of two years after the sentence has been finalized for a contested case is practically unknown in modern times. Court Chronology District Court 1999/09/29 Death Fukuoka High Court 2001/10/10 Fukuoka Death Supreme Court 2006/09/08 Death Executed 2008/10/28 (age 70 at the time) Later Actions Retrials District Court 2009/10/28 (Fukuoka) Retrial filed. 2014/03/31 Retrial rejected. High Court 2014/04/03 (Fukuoka) Special Complaint lodged. 2018/02/06 Complaint is rejected. Supreme Court 2018/02/13 Special Complaint lodged. 2021/04/21 Special Complaint rejected. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Iranian Smuggler Osaka 2011 |
Abudei Sumairu |
Drug Smuggling |
|
Summary Prosecution called for an 18 year sentence and a fine of 8 million yen ($70,000) Court Chronology District Court Osaka 2011/01/28 Not Guilty High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
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. |
|
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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kagoshima Family Murder 1969/01/18 |
|
Murder |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court 12 Years Supreme Court Remanded to H. C. Later Actions |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kagoshima Rape Case Kagoshima prefecture 2012 |
Aged 20 at time of incident. |
Rape of a 17 year old girl |
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Summary Prosecution based on DNA evidence. High court lambasted the DNA laboratory involved in the case, saying it was possible that it succumbed to police pressure in reporting a false match. (Note this is the 3rd major finding of not guilty in Kagoshima prefecture in the short span of several years). Court Chronology District Court Kagoshima DC 2014 Guilty Sentenced to 4 years. High Court Fukuoka HC 2016/Jan/26 Sentenced overturned. Exonerated. |
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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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Kaizuka Green House Case 貝塚ビニールハウス殺人事件 ~~~~~ Osaka 1979/01/21 |
5 male defendants. Age 18 = 4 Age 21 = 1 |
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Summary 1979/01/21： A woman was raped and murdered in the city of Kaizuka in Osaka. Two days later, the deceased woman's husband took an 18 year old youth to the seaside, and beat him severely. The terrified youth confessed to carrying out the crime with 4 accomplices. On Jan 27, police arrested all suspects, 4 of whom were 18 ( minors under Japanese law) and a 21 year old. Despite having credible alibis, the five were known as a group of juvenile delinquents. All were further beaten by police, and confessed to the crime. There was no tangible evidence, biological or otherwise, to implicate the suspects. Court Chronology District Court 1982/12/23 Osaka D.C. The four 18 year olds were sentenced to 10 years. The 21 year old to 18 years. Four of the defendants appealed the decision. High Court 1986/01/30 Osaka H.C. Overturns the sentences and finds the four defendants not guilty. Prosecution abandons the case and the not guilty decisions are finalized. Later Actions High Court 1988/07/19 The remaining defendant files for retrial which is granted. High Court 1989/03/02 The remaining defendant is found not guilty. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kamedo Police Violence Tokyo 2004/02 |
Watanabe Akira |
Obstructing public duties (obstructing police ) ~~~~ No |
|
Summary On his way home after an evening of drinking, the defendant asked a Tokyo police officer, "Tell me, whaddya think of the the Hokkaido Police money scandal?" He was thrown to the ground, roughed up, and charged with obstructing police officers in their performance. Court Chronology District Court 2005/09/08 Guilty (7 months labor suspended for 3 three years). High Court 2006/05/24 affirms lower court ruling. Supreme Court |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kanemori 金森 Korea 1941/10/02 |
Kanemori Kenji |
Arson |
|
Summary The defendant was charged with setting a factory on fire. Court Chronology District Court 1942/06/30 15 Years Korea High Court 1942/08/21 15 Years Korea Supreme Court Later Actions 1971/01/28 Not Guilty (Osaka H.C. ~~~~~~~~~~~ State Redress Suits (Civil Court)) 1973/04 Osaka District Court (Redress awarded) 1975/11 Osaka High Court (Decision is reversed.) 1977/02 Supreme Court Guilty (Affirmed) |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kanondou 観音堂 |
小平尚重 |
Arson |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court Two Years High Court Supreme Court Later Actions Retrial: Not Guilty |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
2002/10/31 |
Karino Akio |
Murder |
|
Summary Defendant is charged with the death of 52 year old, Masaki Hayashi, whose body has never been recovered, Case based on circumstantial evidence. Court Chronology District Court 2006/05/12 Guilty High Court Currently being appealed. Supreme Court Later Actions |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kato Roh Yamaguchi Prefecture 1915/07/11 1915/07/25 |
Kato Shinichi 加藤新一 b. 1893 |
Murder, Robbery |
|
Summary Kato was likely implicated by the accomplice or true perpetrator. Both received life sentences. The other died in 1918 Court Chronology District Court 1916/02/14 Life Imprisonment High Court 1916/08/04 Life Imprisonment Supreme Court 1916/11/07 Confirmed Later Actions 1930 Paroled 1969/06/17 JFBA perceives a miscarriage of justice and launches an investigative committee. 1976/09 Retrial granted (age 83) 1977/07/07 Not Guilty (age 84) 1980/04/29 Kato passes away. (age 87) /////////////////// State Redress Suits (Civil Court) 1980/07 Hiroshima D.C. Refused 1986/10 Hiroshima H.C. Refused 1987/01 Supreme Court Refused |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kanehara Chiemi (F) Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka 2009/12 |
Kanehara Chiemi b. 1967 |
Murder |
|
Summary The accused was charged with murdering her 69 year old common law husband. Prosecution demanded a 13 year sentence, and the mixed jury found she acted in self-defense. Court Chronology District Court 2011/02/02 Not Guilty High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kawaguchi city, Saitama pref. 2008/06/14~15. 2018/06/13 |
野沢徹 Nozawa Touru aged 27 at the time of crime. ~~~ Currently in the Tokyo Detention Center awaiting retrial. |
Rape of a minor. |
|
Summary Arrested for raping a 10 year old girl, just 27 hours before the 10 year statute of limitations expired. Convicted and sentenced to six years. Court Chronology District Court 2019/06/13 Guilty: 6 years. (Prosecution demanded 8). High Court: pending Supreme Court |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Shizuoka 1991/08/22 |
Kawai Toshihiko |
Murder ~~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary
Kawai was arrested in August 1991 on suspicion of drowning his girlfriend's 5 year old son in her bathtub. Forensic analysis indicated the death occurred when Kawai was away, delivering newspapers early in the morning. A police tape recording of the woman confessing to the drowning was dismissed by the high court. Court Chronology District Court High Court 1996 Seven Years Supreme Court Confirmed. Later Actions Defendant was released from prison in 2000. Television documentary about the case was made in 2001. Filed for retrial in May 2005. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Chiba 1981/11/26 1982/05/24 |
Kawashima Hideo 川島 |
Murder, Robbery ~~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary On May 24, 1982, Hideo Kawashima, a bar owner, was arrested for the robbery and murder of a gangster. Kawashima possessed a shotgun and was leasing the bar from the victim. Court Chronology District Court (Chiba) 1988/01/18 16 years imprisonment High Court (Tokyo) 1989/06/19 Appeal dismissed. Supreme Court 1994/03/15 Appeal Dismissed. Sentence confirmed Later Actions 2000/03/20 Kawashima is paroled. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kimagase 木間ケ瀬 1950 |
|
|
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 1958 Death High Court 1961 Not Guilty Supreme Court Later Actions |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kita 喜多 |
喜多 純之介 |
|
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kitayama Arson Case Osaka 2005/05/27 |
Kitayama Tomoya b. 1974 |
Arson resulting in death ~~~ Yes |
|
Summary Tomoya Kitayama was arrested for the alleged arson attack in the city of Osaka in May 2005. Judge Munehisa Sugita said the police conduct exemplified a "vicious investigation that depended on confession while disrespecting material evidence." Court Chronology District Court 2007/Mar/31 Not guilty Osaka DC High Court Supreme Court |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kobayashi Chiemi Arson Case Fukuoka city. 2009/Nov/28 and 2010/Jan |
Kobayashi Chiemi (F) 小林智美 b. 1969 |
Arson x 2 1) residential building 2) automobile |
|
Summary The defendant was charged with setting fire to a male acquaintance's home in November, and then his wife's car in January. In a trial before a mixed jury, she was found guilty of setting the house fire, and not guilty of the car fire. The appeals court reversed the earlier arson conviction finding reasonable doubt. This is the second case of a mixed jury decision of guilty being overturned. Court Chronology District Court 2011/March 4 years imprisonment ( prosecution requested seven) High Court 2011/11/02 Not Guilty Supreme Court |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
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 |
|
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. |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Koishikawa Case 小石川事件 Tokyo 2002/08/01 2002/08/31 |
伊原康介 Ihara b. 1980 |
Murder/Robbery ~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary Ihara is charged with the murder and robbery of an 83 year old woman with whom he shared a house. He and his female companion lived upstairs. One month after the murder, he was arrested for breaking into the same apartment and charged with robbery. Five months later, detectives coerced a confession to the murder. This case has been endorsed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as a proven miscarriage of justice. ( See the list ) Court Chronology District Court 2004/03/29 Guilty: Life Imprisonment High Court 2004/12/21 Affirmed. Supreme Court 2005/06/17 Confirmed Later Actions First Appeal for Retrial: 2015/05/08 JFBA endorses case as a miscarriage of justice, begins official support. 2015/06/24 Retrial filed (Tokyo District Court). Currently under review. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kokubunji Arson 1997 Tokyo |
(Omitted) Mentally impaired man with an IQ of 40. |
Arson ~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary After a series of 23 suspicious fires were set in Tokyo, police began interrogating mentally impaired residents, and charged one with arson. Court Chronology District Court 1999/07 18 months of labor High Court 2000/07 Appeal is rejected. Supreme Court 2003/06 Appeal rejected, sentence is confirmed. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Koushoku 更新少年事件 1999/04/06 |
Yamada Toshiro |
Battery |
|
Summary information needed. Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Koutoku Shũsui Incident 幸徳秋水事件 AKA ：大逆事件 Daigyaku Incident. 1910~1911 |
25 male defendants. 1 female defendant.
|
Conspiracy to assassinate the emperor. ~~~~~~~~ No |
|
Summary A large group of socialists and anarchists were arrested for planning the assassination of Emperor Meiji. No assassination ever took place, but the charge of conspiracy was enough to sustain a sentence of death. Court Chronology District Court 1911/01/18 Death x 24. Life x 2. 1911/01/24 11 male defendants executed. 1911/01/25 1 female defendant (Kanno Suga) executed. Later Actions 5 defendants died in prison, 7 were paroled. 2 were ?? |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Koutsu 江津 1962 |
|
|
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kumagaya Parent Arson Murder Case Kumagaya, Saitama 2011/March/10 2014/May (3+ years later) |
Hatori Koichi |
Arson, Murder. ~~~~ No. |
|
Summary A fire killed two elderly people on March 10, 2011. Their son, the defendant, who lived at home, fled and hid after the fire. First he claimed to have gone on a fishing trip, and later claimed he was thinking of suicide. Court Chronology District Court 2015/03 Not guilty. Prosecution demanded life imprisonment. High Court 2016/06/07 Not Guilty. Finalized. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Liang Stimulant (Tried by Mixed Jurors) |
梁振華 Liang Zhen-hua (Japanese Ryou Shinka) aged 33 |
Receiving Stimulants |
|
Summary Prosecutors demanded 13 years + Seven Million Yen ($85,000) sentence. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Court Chronology District Court (Tokyo) 2011/01/24 Not Guilty Confirmed: Prosecution abandons appeal |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
1999/10/31 |
Loughlin Patrick (British National) |
Manslaughter |
|
Summary Loughlin was attacked by knife-wielding thugs in a bar. A Japanese bystander tried to break up the fight, but was knocked to the floor and later died from a brain hemorrhage. Loughlin was charged with the crime. He was represented by counsel who could not speak English and entered a guilty plea on his behalf. Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court 2001/10/ Later Actions Released 2003/09/05 |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Maizuru city, Kyoto pref 2008/05/07 2009/April |
Naka Katsumi |
Murder ~~~~ Yes. |
|
Summary This case is a perfect example of bekken taiho 別件逮捕ーsometimes called a 'pretextual arrest': charging a suspect with a serious crime who is under investigation, or has been convicted of a minor crime. Six months after the murder, Naka was arrested and later convicted of pilfering charity boxes. Chronology 2008/11/15 Naka arrested for pilfering charity boxes. 2008/Nov Naka's home is searched for six straight days in connection with the murder. 2009/Apr Naka found guilty of theft. Immediately after, murder charges are filed. Court Chronology (Murder) District Court 2011/05/18 Life Imprisonment (Kyoto) High Court 2012/12/12 Not Guilty Supreme Court |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Marusho 丸正 Mishima City, Shizuoka 1955/05/11 1955/05/30 |
Li _____ Suzuki Kazuo |
Murder Robbery |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 1957/10/31 Li: Life Imprisonment Suzuki: 15 Years High Court 1958/12/09 Appeal is rejected. Supreme Court 1960/07/19 Confirmed Later Actions 1963/12/26 Request for Retrial is filed. 1974 Li is Paroled 1989/01/02 Li dies. 1992/12/27 Suzuki dies. Request for retrial is dropped after death of the defendants. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Maruyama Groping Case 2003/10/23 |
Maruyama Isao (age 41 at the time) |
Groping ~~~~ No |
|
Summary The defendant was charged with groping a high school girl on a train. He spent 105 days in detention. This case became the story for the movie "I just didn't do it." Court Chronology District Court 2005/01/21 Guilty (18 months labor suspended for three years) High Court 2006/03/08 Not guilty. Supreme Court Confirmed |
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|
Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
マルヨ無線事件 Maruyo Musen Case (Murder/Arson/Robbery AKA: Kawabata-Cho Case 川端町事件 1966/12/05 |
Oda Nobuo 尾田信夫 b. 1946 age: 74 |
Aged 20 at time of crime. Admits the robbery, denies the charges of arson/murder as a cause of death. In its 1998/10/29 decision, S.C. notes that part of the charges may be appealed. |
|
Summary The defendant, along with a 17 year old friend, was charged with breaking into his workplace with the intent of robbery. The pair attacked two employees staying overnight with hammer blows to the head, kicked over a stove, and caused a fire in which one of the employees died. The defense contends that the stove was not kicked over, and therefore the charges of murder/robbery are moot. It has continually challenged the charge of arson. The original defense attorney only met once with the socially insecure 20 year old defendant throughout the trial, and performed abysmally. This case is endorsed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as a proven miscarriage of justice. ( See the list ) Court Chronology 1968/12/24 Fukuoka D.C. Death 1970/03/20 Fukuoka H.C Affirmed
1970/11/12 Supreme Court Confirmed Later Actions Appeals Chronology: 1973~1979 4 appeals filed. All are denied 1975/12/08 JFBA perceives a miscarriage of justice and launches an investigative committee.
1979/02/01 Japan Federation of Bar Associations joins the defense. 1979-2013 5th and 6th appeals are filed. All are denied. 2013/07/16 7th appeal filed. Currently being adjudicated. |
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|
Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family / First) F = female |
Charges ~~~~ |
|
松橋事件 Kumamoto prefecture 1985/01/06 1985/01/08 |
Miyata Koki |
Murder and Robbery ~~~~~ Yes. |
|
Summary Miyata was accused of stabbing an acquaintance to death after a quarrel. Miyata was interrogated around the clock for 12 days and eventually confessed. His first trial lawyer urged him to plead guilty. He changed his plea, and lawyer, in mid-trial, but was ultimately convicted. He served 14 years until his release in 1999. He was ultimately exonerated in 2019. |
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|
Court Chronology |
||
|
1986/12/22 |
District Court Kumamoto |
Guilty 13 years. |
|
1988/06/21 |
High Court Fukuoka |
Affirmed. |
|
1990/01/26 |
Supreme Court |
Confirmed |
|
1999/07/22 Miyata completes sentence and is released |
||
|
Retrial Attempts |
||
|
2011/08/18 JFBA endorses case as a miscarriage of justice, begins official support. |
||
|
2012/03/12 2016/06/30 |
District Court Kumamoto |
Retrial filed. Retrial granted. |
|
2016/07/02 ~ 2018/10/10 |
Prosecution lodges protests with the high court and the Supreme Court. All are rejected. |
|
|
2019/03/28 |
District Court Kumamoto |
Not Guilty |
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
1949 |
20 people |
Train sabotage resulting in death |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 1950/12/06 5 sentenced to death. 5 to life Imprisonment. 10 sentenced to various terms. High Court 1953/12/22 4 sentenced to death. 2 to life imprisonment. 11 sentenced to various terms. 3 found innocent. Supreme Court 1959/8/10 High Court decision is overturned and remanded. Later Actions 1961/8/8 Sendai High Court All defendants found not guilty. 1963/9/12 Supreme Court Prosecution's appeal is rejected. Innocence is finalized. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Matsuo 松尾事件 |
|
|
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Matsuyama 1955/10/18 |
Saito Yoshio Incarcerated: 28.5 years |
Murder, robbery, arson |
|
Summary The defendant was charged with murdering a family of four, committing robbery, and setting the house on fire. NOTE: This is one of only 4 death penalty cases that have been reversed since 1948. Court Chronology District Court 1957/10/29 Death High Court 1959/05/26 Death Supreme Court 1960/11/01 Death Later Actions 1962/Nov/20 Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) launches a special committee to investigate the case. 1979/Dec/6 Retrial Granted 1984/07/11 Not Guilty: Exonerated. ~~~~~~~~~ State Redress Suit filed in civil court. 1991/07 Sendai D.C. Denied. 2006/07/05 Saito passes away. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
免田 Kumamoto 1948/12/29 |
Menda Sakae 免田栄 Incarcerated: 34 years. |
Murder, Robbery ~~~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary Menda became the first defendant (of only four) to be exonerated from death row in the postwar era. NOTE: This is one of only 4 death penalty cases that have been reversed since 1948. Court Chronology District Court 1950/03/23 Death High Court 1951/03/19 Death Supreme Court 1951/12/25 Death Later Actions 1956/08/10 Third Appeal for Retrial Accepted (Kumamoto D.C.) 1959/04/15 Retrial is cancelled (Fukuoka H.C.) 1961/09/23 Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) launches a special committee to investigate the case. 1979/09/27 Sixth Appeal for Retrial Accepted (Fukuoka H.C.) 1980/12/11 Prosecution's protest of retrial is rejected. (S.C.) 1983/07/15 Not Guilty (Kumamoto D.C. Yachiyo Branch) Exonerated. Length of incarceration: 34 years. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
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. |
|
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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Midori-so みどり荘 (Sleepwalking Case) |
Kutsukake |
Murder Rape ~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary After a young woman was raped and murdered, police interrogated her young male neighbor who was home and asleep during the Incident. Police forced him to confess to the crime "while I was sleepwalking." Court Chronology District Court Guilty. Life Imprisonment High Court Not Guilty. Prosecution abandons appeal. Decision 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 ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
1990 |
Miki Toshio 神酒年雄 Assault resulting in death ~~~~~ Yes |
|
|
Summary Toshio Miki, (age 57) was charged with stabbing Hideo Shirasaki, (age 56) and leaving him critically injured on a street where he was struck by a motor vehicle. Miki was arrested Oct. 13 2005, 27 days before the 15 year statute of limitations expired. The defense claims the DNA blood analysis on the knife was not credible. Court Chronology District Court 2006/04/09 13 years High Court ????????? 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? |
|
Los Angeles, CA (USA) |
Miura Kazuyoshi 三浦和義 b. 1947 |
Murder (of wife) |
|
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. 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 Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Misaki Case 三崎 |
Arai Masao |
Murder x 3 ~~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary Convicted for the murder of a family of three. The actual perpetrator was seen running from the scene of the crime. Arai has a severe foot injury from a traffic accident which makes this impossible, and his large shoes (27 cm) differ from the footprints left at the scene. No other evidence links the defendant to the Incident. Court Chronology District Court 1976/09/25 Death (Yokohama (Nasu branch) High Court 1984/12/18 Death Supreme Court 1990/10/16 Death Later Actions 1991/01 Files for retrial. 2009 Dies in prison |
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|
Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Missing Money/Nishioka 京都不明金 Kyoto |
(F) Nishioka |
Embezzlement |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Tokyo 1949/07/15 |
Takeuchi Keisuke + 9 others. |
Derailing a train and causing death |
|
Summary On July 15, 1949, A deadly derailment killed six people at Mitaka railway station in Tokyo. Ten people, including Takeuchi, were charged with train sabotage resulting in death. All were members of the Communist Party. In 1950 the Tokyo District Court sentenced Takeuchi to life imprisonment, and acquitted the 9 others. In 1951, the Tokyo High Court overturned the district court ruling and sentenced Takeuchi to death. The Supreme Court confirmed this decision in 1955. Court Chronology District Court 1950/08/11 Takeuchi: Life Imprisonment. Nine others: not guilty. High Court 1951/03/30 Takeuchi's sentence raised to death. Nine others: not guilty. Supreme Court 1955 Appeal denied. Death sentence is confirmed. Later Actions Takeuchi dies in prison seeking appeal. High Court 2022/03/01 Appeal rejected. (Denial comes just two weeks after appeal was filed!) ~~~~~~ High Court: 2019/07/31 Appeal rejected. Death Sentence is reconfirmed. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Miyadai 宮代 |
|
|
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Chilean National 2001 August Tokyo Nagano |
A. M. (Name removed by defendant's request.) |
Theft ~~~~ |
|
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 ~~~~ |
|
Multiple Cannon Firings Case 2013/Nov: Yokota Air Base 2014/Oct: Saitama Building ~~~~~~ Arrest: 2017/07/14 |
沼田豊綱 Numata Toyotsuna b. 1951 age 62 at the time of the first incident. |
Violation of Firearm Laws. |
|
Summary Numata, suspected of being a member of a radical political sect, was charged with firing projectiles at two different locations in 2013 and 2014. There were no injuries in either case. The prosecution demanded 30 years. |
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|
Court Chronology |
||
|
2020/12/18 (3.5 years after arrest). |
District Court |
Not Guilty. |
|
|
High Court |
Currently being appealed. |
|
|
Supreme Court |
|
|
Retrials |
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|
Retrials |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Tokyo 2009/June |
Muraki Atsuko (F) |
Forgery of Official Document |
|
Summary Muraki, a bureaucrat with the Welfare Ministry, was charged with forging a document allowing commercial businesses to use reduced postal rates for welfare organizations which aid the blind and physically challenged. Court Chronology District Court 2010/09/11 Not Guilty High Court Prosecution abandons the case. Supreme Court Later Actions: 3 prosecutors were arrested for malfeasance. Two were fired, one was sent to prison. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Mure 牟礼 1950/04/13 Arrested 1952/10/03 (2.5 years later) |
Satou Two other codefendants |
Murder, Robbery, Hiding the Corpse |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 1954/10/25 Death Tokyo High Court 1957/06/20 Death Tokyo Supreme Court 1958/08/05 Confirmed Later Actions 1960/02/12 1st Request for Retrial filed. 1989/10/27 Satou dies in prison 8th Request for Retrial is abandoned. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
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 |
|
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 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 1973/10/03 JFBA launches an investigative committee. 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. 2022/03/03 Nagoya High Court denies 11th petition for retrial. Current Status: Protest is being adjudicated in the Nagoya High Court |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Hiroshima city, Hiroshima pref. 2001/01/17 |
Nakamura Kuniharu |
Murder of mother and two daughters. ~~~~ Yes. |
|
Summary Nakamura, 39, a former company employee, was indicted on charges of killing his mother, and two daughters for insurance payouts on Jan. 17, 2001. He was also charged with setting fire to the house, killing his two daughters, Ayaka, 8, and Arisu, 6. The prosecution demanded death. Note: 3rd case in modern Japanese history in which a defendant was found not guilty in a capital case. Court Chronology District Court 2007/11 Not Guilty High Court 2009/12/15 Not Guilty Supreme Court 2012/02/24 Not Guilty |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Okinawa Elderly Murder Case 2015/Feb 2015/Dec |
Nakayama Seiju(?) 中山盛寿 |
murder |
|
Summary A 77 year old man was found not guilt of his wife's murder, and escaped a 17 year prison term. Sorry, no English reportage. The courts ruled that there was a strong possibility that the murder was committed by a third party. Court Chronology District Court: 2017/10/27 Okinawa DC Not Guilty High Court: 2018/07/12 Fukuoka HC Not Guilty Confirmed |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Osaka 2016/April 2016/July |
Not released. 69 year old woman. |
Assault and causing bodily injury resulting in death. |
|
Summary The woman, grandmother of the child, was initially arrested and prosecuted on suspicion of assault and causing bodily injury resulting in death. Court Chronology District Court Guilty 2017/October Sentenced to 5.5 years. High Court Not Guilty 2019/October 25 Not Guilty. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Niho 仁保 1954/10/26 |
Tamotsu Okabe |
Murder ~~~ Yes, claims he was tortured. |
|
Summary The defendant was charged with the murder of the family of six in Niho, Yamaguchi prefecture. Court Chronology District Court 1962/06/15 Death High Court 1968/02/14 Death Supreme Court 1970/07/31 Reverses the decision and remands the case. Later Actions 1972/12/14 Not Guilty Hiroshima High Court |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Nisan Sunny Case Iwaki City, Fukushima DOI: 1967/10/27 DOA: 1968/04/27 |
Saito |
Murder, Robbery, Theft |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 1969/04/02 Life Imprisonment High Court 1970/04/16 Life Imprisonment Supreme Court 1971/04/19 Confirmed Later Actions 1988/05/01 Paroled |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Shiga Prefecture https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200210/p2a/00m/0na/015000c ~~~~~ 2003/05/22 2004/07/06 |
Nishiyama Mika ( F) |
Murder of a hospital patient ~~~~~~ Yes. |
|
Summary On May 22, 2003, a 72 year old male patient in a vegetative state died. One year later, Nishiyama was charged with removing a breathing tube and murder. She has a mild cognitive disorder and quickly confessed. Court Chronology District Court 2005/11/29 Guilty: 12 years. High Court: Confirmed. Supreme Court: 2007/06/06 Confirmed. Later Actions District Court: 2010/09/21 Retrial filed. 2011/03/30 Retrial rejected. Defense's objections are later rejected by both the High Court and the Supreme Court. 2012/09/28 2nd petition for retrial is filed. 2015/09/30 2nd petition for retrial is rejected. 2015/10/05 Defense team files immediate appeal. ( 2017/August Nishiyama finishes sentence and is released. ) High Court: 2017/12/20 Defense's appeal is accepted and retrial is granted. Prosecution files appeal to supreme court. Supreme Court: 2019/03/18 Prosecution's protest is rejected, retrial is confirmed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ District Court Retrial Chronology 2019/April. Prosecutors announce that they will contest the decision. 2019/0ct. Prosecutors announce that they will decline to further substantiate the case ( but insist that the defendant is guilty). 2020/Feb/03 First retrial hearing. 2020/Feb/10 Closing arguments and prosecution's sentence demands. 2020/March/ 31 Not guilty. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Civil Suit Chronology 2021/05/21 Awarded 7,330,000 yen ($80,630) for previous court costs. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Tokyo 1972 |
Nishiyama Takichi |
Exposing government documents in violation of the National Public Services Law. |
|
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 the government. Court Chronology District Court Not Guilty High Court Guilty Supreme Court 1978 Guilty Confirmed Later Actions 2005: Files suit seeking 33 million yen in compensation after the US government released documents proving his claim. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Nitsuchi Niishi + Tsuchida-taku + Peace-can (Cigarette-can) 日土(日石・土田邸・ピース缶爆弾事件) Tokyo 1969/10/24 1971/10/18 1971/12/18 DOA 1972/09 |
Masubuchi Toshiyuki 増淵利行 and 18 others. |
|
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Summary A package delivered to the Japan Petroleum Company exploded and caused one person serious injury. On 1971/12/18, Tamiko Tsuchida, wife of a high ranking police official, was killed opening a package that contained a bomb. Police seized Masubuchi, then a student of Hosei University-a member of the Lenin study group. The trial took ten years and the prosecution sought death for Masubuchi, and twelve year terms for two of the accomplices. At the end of the ten year statute of limitations, two of the real culprits admitted to two of the crimes. Court Chronology District Court 1982/03/24 Not Guilty Tokyo High Court 1985/12/13 Not Guilty Tokyo (confirmed) Supreme Court Later Actions In April of 1979, a red army faction activist, Masanori Wakamiya, testified that he was responsible for one of the Peace-can bombings of the police station. Since the statute of limitations had passed, he was not indicted. On May 25, 1982, Yoshiaki Makita, son of the president of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, held a press conference and confessed that he and his associates - not any of the accused -were responsible for the bombings. Since the statue of limitations had passed, he was not tried. All the defendants brought suits against the state for redress, but only one received compensation. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Noda 野田 Noda City, Chiba 1979/09/11 1979/09/29 |
Aoyama Tadashi |
Murder ~~~ Yes |
|
Summary Aoyama is mentally challenged. He was charged with the murder of a first grade elementary school student. Court Chronology District Court 1987/01/26 12 years. High Court 1989/09/06 Affirmed.
Supreme Court 1993/12/20 Appeal rejected. Sentence confirmed. Later Actions 1994/08/14 Aoyama is released from prison. 2014/07/14 Retrial filed. 2019/09/18 Aoyama passes away. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Noda #2 |
Noda |
Murder, battery, rape. |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 90/03/15 Not guilty High Court 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? |
|
Osaka Video Room Arson/Murder Case 大阪個室ビデオ店放火殺人事件 2008/08/01 |
Ogawa Kazuhiro 小川和弘 b. 1961 |
Arson and Murder (16 deaths) |
|
Summary Charged with starting a fire with accelerant and killing 16 people. Insists the charges are bogus and the fire started from another room. (More) This case has been endorsed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as a proven miscarriage of justice. ( See the list ) Court Chronology: District Court 2009/12/02 Death. High Court 2011/07/26 Death Supreme Court 2014/03/06 Death Later Actions First Appeal for Retrial: 2014/May/28 Retrial filed. Osaka DC 2014/09/16 Files for retrial support with the JFBA 2018/March. Retrial is rejected. Osaka DC. Defense files instantaneous special protest to the Osaka HC 2018/10/09 Special protest is rejected. Defense files instantaneous special protest to the SC. 2019/6/20 JFBA endorses case as a miscarriage of justice, begins official support. (Note: Nearly 5 years after application.) 2019/07/17 Supreme Court Special protest is rejected. Retrial denial is confirmed. Current status: defense is planning a second appeal. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Ohmori Kangin Bank 大森勧銀事件 1970 |
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|
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 73/??/?? Life Imprisonment High Court 78/??/?? Not Guilty Supreme Court 82/??/?? Not Guilty decision 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 ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
大崎 Kagoshima 1979/10/12 |
Haraguchi Ayako (F) (Nee Nakamura) + two others. |
Murder, Disposal of a Corpse. ~~~~~~ |
|
Summary In October 1979, Kunio Nakamura, a 42-year-old farmer, was found dead in a cattle barn near his home in the town of Ohsaki, Kagoshima Prefecture. 3 people were charged with the slaying, Nakamura's two brothers, and Haraguchi. Haraguchi was married to the older brother. The brothers, one of whom was mentally retarded, plead guilty, implicated Haraguchi, and received 8 year sentences. Haraguchi plead innocent and was sentenced to 10 years. This case has been endorsed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as a proven miscarriage of justice. ( See the list ) Court Chronology District Court 80/03/31 Haraguchi 10 years. Three others get 1-8 years. High Court 1980/10/14 Haraguchi's appeal is rejected Supreme Court 1981/01/30 Appeal is rejected. Sentence is finalized. Later Actions 1990/07/17 Haraguchi completes her term and is released from prison. First Appeal for Retrial: 95/04/19 Appeal for retrial is filed. 2002/03/20 Kagoshima D.C. Retrial is granted. 2004/12/09 Kagoshima H.C. Retrial is overturned. 2006/01/31 SC affirms the H.C. decision. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Second Appeal for Retrial: 2010/08 2nd appeal for retrial is filed. 2013/03/06 Kagoshima DC: appeal is rejected. 2014/07/15 Fukuoka HC affirms DC judgement and rejects retrial. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Third Appeal for Retrial: 2017/06/28 Kagoshima DC grants retrial. 2018/03/12 Fukuoka HC affirms retrial. 2019/06/25 Supreme Court overturns grant of retrial. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fourth Appeal for Retrial: 2020/03/30 Filed in Kagoshima DC 2022/06/21 Kagoshima DC 4th appeal for retrial is rejected. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Ohte-cho 大手町 1986/05/03 |
|
Murder, robbery, theft ~~~~ No |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 1993/11/17 Life Imprisonment Hiroshima High Court 2000/2/22 Appeal is rejected Hiroshima
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? |
|
Oike Double Jeopardy Arson Case Osaka 2007/5/5 |
Oike Osamu 尾池治 |
Arson, Murder x 3 ~~~~~ Yes. |
|
Summary In the first trial, the judge found the DVD confession to be unreliable, and the existence 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 2012/12/14 Guilty 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 ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
|
??? |
Receiving one kilogram of marijuana from an acquaintance. |
|
Summary Prosecutors sought a five year sentence and one million yen fine. Court Chronology District Court 2011/04/28 Not Guilty High Court 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? |
|
Tokyo 2009/September |
Okamoto Kazuyoshi |
Arson, Trespassing and Theft |
|
Summary Tried by a mixed jury system, Okamoto, who had a long record of thefts was accused of trespassing, theft, and setting fire to an apartment. The district court found him guilty of trespassing and theft, but not guilty of the arson charge. Court Chronology District Court 2010 July. Trespassing and Theft: guilty. Arson: not guilty. Sentence: 18 months. High Court 2011/03/29 Prosecution's objection is sustained. Arson charge is remanded for retrial. Supreme Court Sustains the defense objection to the remand. Defendant is not guilty of arson. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Okita Mitsuo |
Groping ~~~ No |
|
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Summary September 2, 1999. After urging a young woman to speak quietly into her cellphone while aboard a Tokyo train, the woman reported Okita as a groper. He denied the charges and spent 21 days in confinement, after which, the charges were dropped. He filed a State Redress Suit against the police and a civil suit against the woman who accused him. Though the State Redress Suit ultimately failed, the Supreme Court in a Nov 2008 ruling vacated previous dismissals of his civil suit and reinstated the case against the woman. Court Chronology District Court Civil Suit. 2006/04/10 (Lost) High Court Supreme Court 2008/Nov/07 SC vacates lower court decisions against the woman and remands the case back for further hearing. 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? |
|
Okize/Matsunaga 沖縄ゼネスト警官死亡事件 |
Matsunaga Yoh 松永優 |
|
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Summary On November 10, 1971, during a demonstration protesting the conditions put forward for Okinawa's reversion to Japan, a riot policeman was hit with a firebomb and died. The defendant tried to roll the officer to extinguish the flames. He was arrested and charged with murder. Court Chronology District Court (Naha) 1974/10/07 Guilty One year of labor suspended for two years. High Court 1976/04/25 Not Guilty. Later Actions Matsunaga sought damages of 15,000,000 and apologies in the 5 major newspapers. 1976/12/08 Tokyo District Court awarded damages of 3,500,000 yen. Does not order any apologies. 1983/10/20 Tokyo High Court: affirms DC decision. 1989/06/29 Supreme Court disagrees and remands to HC. 1992/03/06 Tokyo HC erases awards. |
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Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Osaka Ibaraki Daughter Death Osaka Ibaraki City 2014/Dec ( More ) |
19 year old mother (name withheld: minor at time of crime). (stepfather) Kishimoto Yuki (male) 岸本友希 |
Abandonment causing injury or death. ~~~~~~~ Causing death through negligence. |
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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 ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Osaka Attempted Rape 2006/March |
Unknown |
Attempted Rape |
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Summary The accused admitted visiting the home of the defendant and throwing her to the ground, but denies the charge of attempted rape. According to the judge, Judge Hiroshi Furukawa, "The testimony of the victim has been altered and shows deliberate lies. " Mainichi Shinbun 07/06/20 (Evening. p.10) Court Chronology Osaka DC 2006/12 2.5 years of labor Osaka HC 2007/06/19 Not guilty Supreme Court Later Actions |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
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. |
|
Summary 17 days after being reported as missing, a 7 year old'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 ????? |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Osaka city 2004 & 2008 2008 |
Not published |
Rape ~~~~~~ No. |
|
Summary The defendant was charged with two separate rapes of the same girl/woman in 2004 and 2008. The victim later recanted the testimony, admitting that it was a fabrication. The defendant served six years. Court Chronology District Court: 2009: 12 years High Court: Confirmed. Supreme Court: Confirmed. Later Actions After the accuser recanted, the defendant was released in Nov 2014, retried, and acquitted in Oct 2015. He then brought a civil suit against the police 2019/01/08 Defendant's state redress suit seeking 140 million yen ($1.3 million) was rejected. 202007/14 Supreme Court: civil suit is rejected. |
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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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Osaka city, Osaka Pref 2015/03/14 2016/11/02 (18 months later) |
Miura Kohei 三浦孝平 (age 26) |
Inflicting serious injury. ~~~ No |
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Summary Charges: violently shaking a 3 month old baby resulting in permanent loss of consciousness. Prosecutors demanded a 5 year sentence. Court Chronology District Court 2019/01/11 Not guilty. High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Oume 青梅 |
10 defendants. |
Overturning a train. 〜〜〜 |
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Summary On Feb 19, a railway malfunction lead to a train smash. Ten members of the communist party were brutally interrogated and forced to confess. Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court 1966: Remands case to the high court for rehearing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ High Court 1968: Not guilty. Later Actions |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
親父狩り#1 (Adult Trial) Osaka 2004 |
Fujimoto (Soh) Atsushi (29) Okamoto Taishi (26) plus 3 youths. |
Assault/ Robbery 〜〜〜〜 No |
|
Summary The youths were charged with assault and robbery in a "papa capture (oyajigari) case." Court Chronology District Court 2006/03/20 Not guilty Fujimoto &Okamoto High Court Confirmed. Supreme Court Later Actions 07/12/07 Osaka Family Court Reverses earlier ruling for 14 year old youth. 2011/Jan/20 Osaka District Court finds that the interrogations were illegal and orders payment of 15,000,000 yen to five defendants in state redress suit! |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
親父狩り#2 2004 Youths Trial |
Three Youths (minors names may not be disclosed) |
Assault Robbery ~~~ Yes |
|
Summary On Feb 16, 2004, four youths mugged an unknown middle-aged man. The victim turned out to be the honorable Kenji Torigoe, chief judge of the Osaka District Court. As the exhaustive investigation turned cold, police arrested 3 minors and forcefully extracted confessions. Two adults (Oyajigari #1) were also charged . Court Chronology District Court Youth 1) 16 yr old: 2004/July Sent to Medium Level Reformatory Youth 2) 14 yr old: 2006/Mar Sent to Medium Level Reformatory Youth 3) 13yr old: not incarcerated High Court Youth 1) 16 yr old: 2007/Jul Family Court decision is nullified. 2007/12/17 Dismisses Case (= not guilty) Supreme Court Later Actions Youth 3) Files redress suit against the state. 2007/April |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Rokko-san 六甲山事件 |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court 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? |
|
Rosal Matsudo City, Chiba 1997/11/09 1997/11/11 |
Rosal Manalili Villanueva Filipina (aged 28) |
Murder ~~ Yes |
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Summary After spending a night in the hospital visiting her sick daughter, Rosal arrives home to find her live in partner laying on the couch in a pool of blood. An autopsy confirmed 52 stab wounds. Both Rosal and her ex-husband, who had tried to break into the apartment the previous evening, were taken in for questioning. Rosal, not under arrest, made a false confession after being illegally detained and interrogated around the clock for 10 days without access to attorneys or Consulate staff. Court Chronology District Court 2000/ 8.5 years Chiba High Court 2002/09/04 8.5 years Tokyo Supreme Court Appeal abandoned. (Knowing that the Supreme Court appeal process is not calculated in time served, and expecting to lose, Rosal abandons final appeal.) Later Actions 2003/06/03 In a separate civil suit against the police, Rosal is awarded two million yen for illegal confinement before arrest. 2007/ January Deported to the Philippines. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Ryumon? 竜門 |
|
Murder |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court Not Guilty High Court 8 years. Supreme Court Later Actions |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Sachiura 幸浦 1948/11/29 |
Four Men ages 19~45. |
Murder x 4 /robbery/ arson 〜〜〜〜 |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 1950/4/27 Three sentenced to death, One to labor. High Court 1951/5/8 Appeal is rejected Supreme Court 1957/2/14 Appeal is remanded back to the High Court Later Actions 1959/2/28 (Tokyo High Court) Not guilty 1963/7/9 (Supreme Court) Prosecution's appeal is rejected. Innocence is confirmed The village is now part of Fukuroi city. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Sagamihara Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture 2017/Dec/12 2017/Dec/12 |
Oishi Akihito Age 39 at time of crime. |
murder ~~~~ No. |
|
Summary The defendant was indicted for a fatal stabbing near his home. Police claim his glasses were at the crime scene and that the defendant's blood was on his bicycle. Prosecutors asked for an 18 year sentence. ( MORE ) Court Chronology District Court 2019/05/31 Not guilty. High Court 2020/01/23 Not guilty: confirmed. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Saitagawa 財田川 Kagawa 1950/02/28 |
Taniguchi Shigeyoshi Exonerated Time Served = 34 years |
murder ( x 1) robbery |
|
Summary One of four postwar death sentence exonerations. The judge who heard the petition for retrial quit the bench in order to defend Taniguchi. His hard work was fruitful and the defendant was released after 34 years in prison. Court Chronology District Court 1952/02/20 Death High Court 1956/06/08 Appeal Denied Supreme Court 1957/01/22 Confirmed. Later Actions 1976/09/17 Japan Federation of Bar Associations perceives a miscarriage of justice, and launches a special investigative committee. 1979/June/07 Retrial granted 1983/March Former judge turned attorney Yano dies. 1984/03/12 EXONERATED 2005/07/26 Taniguchi dies. |
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Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
San-oku-en 三億円事件 |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Sasaki 佐々木 1974/10/30 |
Sasaki Tetsuya 佐々木哲也 |
Murder x 2 ~~~ Yes |
|
Summary Sasaki was convicted of killing his parents. He maintains his innocence. Court Chronology District Court 1984/03/15 Death (Chiba) High Court 1986/08/29 Death (Tokyo) Supreme Court 1992/01/31 (Death) Later Actions Retrial has been filed. Sasaki is currently on death row in Tokyo. |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
狭山 1963/05/01 1963/05/23 |
Ishikawa Kazuo |
Murder, Rape, Robbery 〜〜〜 Yes |
|
Summary A young woman was kidnapped and a well written ransom note was delivered to her family. She was later raped and killed. Police arrested Ishikawa, a semi-literate Burakumin, and forced him to confess. Court Chronology District Court 1964/03/11 Death High Court 1974/10/31 Life Imprisonment Supreme Court 1977/08/09 Confirmed Later Actions 1977/08/30 Request for retrial 1995/ December. Ishikawa is paroled. 2005/03/15 2nd Appeal for retrial denied. 2006/05/23 3rd appeal for retrial submitted to Tokyo High Court. (Exactly 43 years after original arrest) |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Sekiguchi Drug Importation Case Narita Airport, Chiba pref |
Sekiguchi Sachio |
Drug Importation |
|
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. |
||
|
Case Name Location Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family / First) F = female |
Charges ~~~~ |
|
Sekine Obscenity Case Tokyo 2016/05/10 |
Sekine Susumu M.D. 関根進 aged 40 at the time. |
Obscenity |
|
Summary Sekine is charged with licking the breast of his female patient immediately after performing surgery for a mammary tumor. He denied the claims, refused to confess, and was held in detention for 105 days. The defense claims the patient suffered from "post-surgical delirium." Noted defense attorney Takashi Takano is defending the case. The case has support from the Japan People's Relief Association. |
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|
Court Chronology |
||
|
2019/02/20 |
District Court |
Not Guilty |
|
2020/07/13 |
High Court |
Guilty: 2 years of labor |
|
|
Supreme Court |
|
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Shimada 島田事件 Shizuoka 1954/03 |
Akabori Masao Exonerated Incarcerated 34 Years |
Murder ~~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary Akabori, who is autistic, was arrested and charged for murdering a child. He is one of only four people whose death sentence was finalized by the Supreme Court, and was later found innocent. Court Chronology District Court Death 1958/05/23 Death High Court Death 1960/02/17 Affirmed Supreme Court 1960/12/05 Confirmed Later Actions 1977/Mar/18 Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) launches a special committee to investigate the case. 1986/05/30 Retrial granted. (Shizuoka High Court.) 1989/01/31 Not Guilty Incarcerated: 34 years |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
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 Note: Arrested 46 months after the incident. |
Yamano Teruyuki 山野 輝之 b. |
Arson, Murder |
|
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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Shimotakaido |
Takano |
Arson |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 2004/02/23 Not Guilty High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Shirahama Kagoshima |
Shirahama Masahiro aged 71 at time of trial |
Murder and robbery of an elderly couple |
|
Summary Prosecution demanded death. First (and only) decision of 'not guilty' in a death penalty case since the beginning of mixed jury trials instituted in 2009. Court Chronology District Court (Kagoshima) 2010/Dec/10 Not Guilty High Court Prosecution abandons appeal after death of the defendant. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Shiratori 白鳥 1952/01/21 Hokkaido Sapporo |
Kuniji Murakami 1952/10/01 |
Murder |
|
Summary An enormously important case, the first instance of a confirmed guilty verdict being overturned in postwar Japanese history. Court Chronology District Court 1957/05/07 Life Imprisonment High Court 1960/05/31 20 years Supreme Court 1963/10/17 Confirmed Later Actions Retrial Request is Filed 1975 Decision is overturned: not guilty. |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Soka 草加 1985/07/19 |
6 Youths aged 13-15 |
Murder ・Rape ~~~ Yes |
|
Summary In July of 1985, a young woman was found dead and raped. Police arrested and extracted confessions from six youths aged between 13 and 15. Despite contradictions among the confessions, and the absence of DNA materials among the suspects, all were sent to juvenile correction facilities. Court Chronology District Court 1985/09/06 Sent to reform school. (Family Court) High Court 1986/06/16 Appeal is rejected. Supreme Court 1989/07/20 Further appeal is rejected. The Court refused to rule because the boys had already been released. Later Actions The victims parents brought a civil suit and were turned down by the Urawa District Court. The Tokyo District Court reversed, and awarded damages. The Supreme Court disagreed and remanded to the high court which did an about face and quashed the suit. |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Suita city, Osaka pref. 2016/10/03 |
Narasaki Junji (?) (aged 32) 楢崎 淳二 |
Injury resulting in death. |
|
Summary A father was charged with killing his one month old baby. Court Chronology District Court 2018/11/20 Not Guilty High Court 2018/03/13 Not Guilty. Later: Prosecution is abandoned. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Sunagawa 1957 Sep |
7 defendants |
Trespassing |
|
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 negotiated 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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Suzuka Suzuka city/ Aichi prefecture. 2012/11/13 2012/11/14 |
Kato Eiji ~~~~~~~~~ Nagano Prison |
Murder ~~~~~~~ No |
|
Summary Kato was charged with murdering his business partner. Court Chronology District Court 2015/07/24 Guilty 17 years. High Court 2016/12/19 Confirmed Supreme Court 2018/07/04 Confirmed. Later Actions Retrial Filed June 30, 2022. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
2004 |
Onishi Shouhei + 2 others |
Illegal Entry Trespassing |
|
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 Upheld |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Taiwan Yacht Drug Smuggling Case Okinawa 2016/May |
Taiwanese woman age 34 (F) (name not published) |
Drug Smuggling |
|
Summary A yacht from Taiwan, anchored in Okinawa, was found to have 597 kilograms of meta-amphetamines-one of the largest drug finds in history. Of the six people aboard-3 men and 3 women, two of the men were found guilty and sentenced to terms of 12 and 10 years. One of the woman was charged in a separate mixed jury trial. She was found innocent. Court Chronology District Court Naha 2018/03/08 Not guilty. High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Takaishi Primary School 高石小学校 |
|
Obscenity |
|
Summary The defendant, an elderly retired gentleman, who drove the school bus, was accused of molesting an eight year old girl. The girl's story, full of inconsistencies, was accepted by the court Court Chronology District Court: Guilty High Court Supreme Court |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Kochi Child Molestation 2002/04 |
Takeuchi Shinichiro |
Obscenity (Molestation) |
|
Summary Takeuchi, 48, had been indicted on suspicion of molesting a 10-year-old girl while teaching table tennis at a primary school in April 2002. Court Chronology District Court 2003/March Guilty High Court 2004/June Not Guilty Supreme Court Later Actions Takeuchi won damages against the government for prosecutorial malfeasance against his wife. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
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 |
|
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 2016 The Nichibenren's Human Right's Protection Committee forms a task force in support of the case. 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 ~~~~ |
|
Taki Tokyo 1950/May/20 1951/Jan |
Taki Junnosuke 滝淳之助 Time Incarcerated= 30 years |
19 Charges: murder +robberies |
|
Summary Defendant was charged and confessed to 19 different crimes the most severe being murder/robbery. |
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|
Court Chronology |
||
|
1953/Jun/13 |
District Court Tokyo |
Life Imprisonment x1 5 years labor x2 |
|
1953/09/10 |
High Court |
Confirmed |
|
None |
Supreme Court |
Defendant did not appeal. |
|
Later Actions 1964 January 31 Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) launches a special committee to investigate the case. Retrials 1980/10/16 Tokyo High Court hears prosecution's protest over retrial. |
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|
1981/Mar/27 |
District Court |
Not Guilty |
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Tatsuno 辰野 |
|
|
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Takamatsu |
Tanaka 田中将敬 |
Robbery, battery |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 1988/6/13 7 years imprisonment High Court 1993/4/22 Defense's appeal is rejected. Supreme Court 1994/4/12 Appeal is rejected. Sentence is confirmed. Later Actions Defendant dies during preparation for retrial |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Tenri city, Nara Pref. 2016/12/19 2018/12/25 Note: over two years elapsed from incident to time of arrest. |
Takigawa Naoya 奈緒哉 age 24 |
Fatal Child Abuse ~~~~ Conflicting statements given. |
|
Summary The defendant was charged with fatally abusing his 5 month old daughter. Court Chronology District Court 2017/12/21 Not guilty. Mixed jury verdict. High Court Supreme Court |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Tokyo 1948/01/26 1948/01/26 |
Hirasawa Sadamichi |
Murder, Robbery ~~~ Yes, after 34 days of interrogation. |
|
Summary 12 people died in a bank drinking medicine which was laced with poison. Investigators quickly surmised that the perpetrator had a deep knowledge of poisons and chemistry, probably a former member of the 731 Brigade. When the investigation failed to progress, they arrested a 56 year old tempera painter with no knowledge of chemistry. Court Chronology District Court 1950/07/24 Death High Court 1951/09/29 Death Supreme Court 1955/04/26 Confirmed Later Actions 1987/05/10 Hirasawa dies in prison. Aged 95 2003: 20th appeal for retrial filed. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Hamada Case 3 Insurance Fraud Cases |
Hamada Takeshige |
Murder Insurance Fraud ~~~ Admits one of the cases. |
|
Summary The defendant denies two of the three cases. This invalidates the death sentence. Court Chronology District Court 1982/03/29 Death Fukuoka High Court 1984/06/17 Death Fukuoka Supreme Court 1988/03/08 Death Later Actions 2000/06 Fourth Appeal for Retrial filed. Hamada is currently on death row in Fukuoka. |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
栃木小1女児殺害事件 Imaichi city, Tochigi. 2005/12/01 ~~~~~ 2014/06/03 (Note: 8.5 years later.) |
Katsumata Takuya |
Murder of a child ~~~~~~~ Yes. |
|
Summary In December, 2005, a first grade female elementary student was murdered. The case went cold. Some 8+ years later, the defendant was pretextually arrested for selling fake brand items. He was coerced into confessing to the murder. Most of the confession was taped and played before a mixed jury. This case has no other tangible evidence. Court Chronology District Court (Utsunomiya) 2016/04/08 Life Imprisonment. High Court (Tokyo) 2018/08/03 Life Imprisonment. Supreme Court 2020/03/06 Confirmed. Later Actions |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Tokuda 徳田 |
Tokuda |
Murder Arson + other charges |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court Life Imprisonment High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Tokumoto 徳本 |
Three defendants Two are tried in absentia |
Auto Theft |
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 1968 7 Years Kobe High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
2000/June |
Tokunaga Robert Brazilian National |
Excessive injury resulting in death |
|
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 2001/10/17 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 5 years. (Tokyo High Court) Supreme Court 2002/11/25 Confirmed |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Tokushima Radio 徳島ラジオ商殺し事件 Tokushima city 1953/Nov/05 |
Fuji Shigeko (F) Murder |
|
|
Summary Court Chronology District Court 1956/Apr/18 Sentenced to 13 years. High Court 1956/Apr/18 Confirmed Supreme Court 1958/May/12 Sentence is confirmed. Later Actions 1959 First Appeal for retrial is filed Second Appeal for retrial is filed 1959 Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) launches a special committee to investigate the case. 1962 Third Appeal for retrial is filed 1966 Defendant is provisionally released. 1968 Fourth Appeal for retrial is filed. 1978 Fifth Appeal for retrial is filed. 1979 Fuji passes away. 1980 Sixth Appeal for retrial is accepted 1983 Retrial begins. 1985 Six years after her death, defendant is found not guilty. |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Tomiyama 富山 1974/10/03 1975 |
Tomiyama Yasunobu |
Murder |
|
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 1994/06/20 Request for retrial is filed. 1995/12/19 Released from prison |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Himi Toyama Rape Case Himi 氷見city, Toyama 2002/March~April |
Yanagihara Hiroshi 柳原 浩 (age 34 at the time) |
Rape ~~~~ Yes. |
|
Summary Yanagihara was charged with raping a 16 year old girl twice over a period of two months. He served two years in prison. The real culprit later came forward and confessed. Court Chronology District Court 2002/11/27 3 years. (Toyama) High Court Abandons appeal Released: 2005 January 2006 Nov: Real culprit confesses to multiple rapes including this one. 2007/10/10 Yanagihara declared not guilty in retrial. (Prosecution requested decision of not guilty.) 2009/05/14 Files civil suit seeking redress. 2015/April Court orders compensation of 19,660,00 yen ($190,000). |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Toyohashi Family Murder Case 豊橋一家3人殺し事件 Aichi 1970/05/15 1970/08/28 |
|
Murder, Arson, Robbery and Rape ~~~~~~~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary A mother was raped and murdered, and her two children perished in a blaze. A 21 year old man was arrested and charged, and the prosecution asked for death. He was declared not guilty. The case was never solved. Court Chronology District Court 1974/06/12 Not Guilty (Confirmed) |
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|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Tsuchiura Multiple Murder Case Ibaraki 2004/11/24 2004/11/25 |
Ijima Masaru 飯嶋勝 b. 1985 |
Murder x 3. ~~~~ Yes |
|
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. |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
鶴見事件 Yokohama city 1988 June 20 1988 June 30 |
Takahashi Kazutoshi 高橋和利 Age 54 at time of crime Deceased：October 8, 2021 Aged 87 |
Robbery & Murder. Admits the robbery, denies the murder. ~~~~~ Yes ~~~~~~ |
|
Summary After arriving for an appointment at a real estate office, Takahashi finds two dead bodies. He does not inform the police, and leaves with a bag of cash($90,000) . He is apprehended, and using the theft as a pretext, police extract a confession to murder. Though the contents of the confession, i.e., the murder tool, the escape route, and other statements conflict with the facts, the court issued a death sentence based on circumstantial evidence. This case has been endorsed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as a proven miscarriage of justice. ( See the list ) Court Chronology District Court 1995/09/07 Death (Yokohama) High Court 2002/10/30 Confirmed (Tokyo) Supreme Court 2006/03/28 Confirmed Later Actions First Appeal for Retrial: 2006/06/14 First Retrial filed. Yokohama DC 2012/04/13 Retrial rejected. Yokohama DC 2012/04/19 Immediate complaint filed with Tokyo HC 2017/08/25 Japan Federation of Bar Associations grants support. Support Committee is formed. Second Appeal for Retrial: 2017/12/27 First retrial is withdrawn. (Same day) Second petition for retrial is filed. Current status: Petition is being deliberated by the Number 2 Criminal Division of the Yokohama District Court. |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Nurse Ueda Case Fukuoka July 2007 |
Ueda Satomi (F) |
Professional Negligence |
|
Summary Nurse Ueda was charged with cutting toenails of dementia patients too short, and causing them to bleed. She was incarcerated for 102 days. Court Chronology District Court 2009/March Guilty (six months in prison suspended for three years) High Court 2010/09/16 Not Guilty Supreme Court |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Umeda 梅田 ~~~~~ 1950/Oct/10 1954/Jul/7 Hokkaido Kitami City |
Umeda Yoshimitsu Exonerated Time Served: 17 years |
Murder, Robbery ~~~~~~~ Yes to police. Denied the confession in court |
|
Summary A forestry official was robbed and murdered. 2 years later, Umeda was arrested Court Chronology District Court 1954/Jul/07 Life Imprisonment High Court 1957/7/7 Confirmed Supreme Court 1957/11/14 Later Actions 1964/Jan/31 Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) launches a special committee to investigate the case. 1971/05 Paroled 1982/12/20 Retrial granted. 1986/08/27 Not Guilty 2007/06/20 Umeda dies. |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Urayasu 浦安 ２００４／Feb |
K (Prefers not to have name published). |
Molestation x 2 |
|
Summary The defendant, a teacher at a school for the mentally challenged, was charged with molesting two of the students. Court Chronology District Court Not Guilty High Court Not Guilty Supreme Court Later Actions The parents of the two children brought civil suit against Saitama prefecture and Urayasu city seeking 20,000,000 in damages. Despite the decisions of not guilty, the courts awarded 600,000 yen. The case is being appealed. |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Utano Hospital Poisoning Case Kyoto city 1998/10/28 1999/03/07 |
Ishida Hiroshi M.D age 43. |
Poisoning 7 colleagues ~~~~ Yes. |
|
Innocence Overturned: 逆転有罪 Summary Originally declared not guilty, the high court sentenced Ishida to 16 months in prison for putting sodium azide, a dangerous chemical, into a heated thermos in the hospital’s staff room. Court Chronology District Court: 2003/02/28 Not Guilty (Confession was deemed coerced). High Court: 2006/09/07 Remanded to district court for retrial. District Court: Guilt: 16 months imprisonment. High Court: 2009/05/15 Confirmed. |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Utsunomiya Assault & Robbery |
Withheld (Defendant is Mentally Disabled) |
Assault, Robbery ~~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary A 53 year old mentally disabled man pleaded guilty to assaulting two junior high school girls, robbing a confectioner of 130,000 yen, and later robbing a supermarket employee of 6,000 yen. Court Chronology District Court After demanding a seven year term, prosecutors drop charges after another man confesses to the crime. Later Actions 2006/03 Bar Association issues warning to authorities over the case |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
Uwajima city, Ehime pref. 1998 1999/Feb |
Not disclosed. |
Theft x 2 ~~~~~~ Yes |
|
Summary Charges: stealing a personal signature stamp from an acquaintance's house and later withdrawing 500,000 yen from a bank account. Court Chronology District Court Sessions conclude in Dec. 1999. Four days before the decision is to be issued in Feb, 2000, the prosecution asks for a decision of not guilty after the real culprit is apprehended. Later Actions 2002/June Files state redress suit seeking 10 million yen ($90,000) in damages 2006/01/18 Matsuyama D.C. rejects state redress suit. 2008/04/25 Takamatsu H.C. Brokers a settlement for 6 million yen ($50,000) in compensation. |
||
|
Case Name Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
|
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 Date of Incident Date of Arrest |
Defendant's Name(s) (Family First) F=female |
Charges ~~~~ Confessed? |
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Yamakawa or Deza (友部)友部小学校女教デザ (デザイナー殺人事件 / 山川事件） 1965/01/13 |
Yamakawa Shinya |
Murder, Kidnapping |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 1966/02/28 Death High Court 1968/12/19 Death Supreme Court 1971/05/11 Death Later Actions 1975/03/04 Appeal for Retrial 1977/05/21 Defendant commits suicide awaiting retrial. |
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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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Yamamoto 山本 1928/11/24 |
Yamamoto Hisao |
Murder |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 1930/01/24 Life Imprisonment High Court 1930/12/26 Life Imprisonment Supreme Court 1931/04/08 Confirmed Later Actions 1945/Nov Paroled 1952/April Sentence commuted to 20 years. 1983/09/09 Files Second Request for Retrial |
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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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Yamanaka 山中 1972/07/26 |
Yamanaka 山中 |
Murder |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 1975/10/27 Death High Court 1982/01/19 Death Supreme Court 1989/06/22 Remanded to High Court Later Actions Decision Overturned: Not Guilty. |
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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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Yamasaki Hit and Run 山崎ひき逃げ DOI 1986/06/17 DOA 1998/09/30 |
Yamasaki Kunio |
Professional Negligence resulting in death. |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court In deliberation High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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Yamashita 山下 1984/03/22 |
Yamashita Akira |
Murder |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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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/March 14 Not Guilty - Mixed Jury Verdict High Court (Nagoya) 2018/September 5 Guilty Sentenced to 5.5 years. (Prosecution asked for 8 years) Supreme Court Not decided. |
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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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横浜 1943 Kanagawa |
About 30 defendants, four of whom died of torture in prison. |
Violating the wartime peace preservation law ~~~ Yes, after torture. |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court 1945/August=September High Court Supreme Court Later Actions 1986~2002: four requests for retrial made. 2003-last remaining defendant passes away. 2003/April. Yokohama DC accepts request for retrial. Prosecution protests. 2005/March Tokyo HC upholds Yokohama DC decision. 2006/02/09 Yokohama DC issues decision of "menso(免訴)" non-prosecution. Defense appeals to the high court. 2007/01/19 Tokyo HC: Appeal is rejected. 2008/03/14 Supreme Court: Rejection is confirmed. 2010/02/04 Civil Suit: 4 descendants of former defendants are awarded 47 million yen ($500,000) in compensation. |
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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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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 2014/02/26 Note: 4½ years after the crime. |
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 his employer, the director of a love hotel. He never recovered consciousness and died six years later. The major evidence-Ishida, was found in possession of 230 x 1000 yen ($10) notes. Case Chronology 2015/09/29 Hotel owner dies. Charges are raised to include murder. 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. Note: first instance of a reversal of a mixed jury guilty decision to be overturned by the Supreme Court (23 cases in all-as of Sept. 2020.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Remand Chronology High Court 2019/01/24 Remands case to district court. District Court 2020/11/30 Guilty: sentenced to life imprisonment. (Tottori DC ). Current Status: High court appeal is now in process. |
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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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Yoneya 米谷 1952/Feb/25 |
Yoneya |
Murder, Rape |
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Summary The defendant was charged with the rape and murder of an elderly woman. Court Chronology District Court 1952/Dec/5 Guilty 10 years. High Court 1953/Aug/22 Appeal is denied Supreme Court 1953/08/22 Confirmed Later Actions 1966 Real criminal comes forward and confesses. 1967/Mar/18 Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) launches a special committee to investigate the case. 1968 Real criminal is found innocent. 1976/Oct/30 Retrial begins. 1978/Jul/31 Not Guilty. (Aomori D.C.) State Redress Suit (Civil Court) 1984/06 Tokyo D. C. Denied. 1988/04 Tokyo H. C. Denied. |
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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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Yoshida 吉田石松老王事件 1913/08/13 |
YOSHIDA Ishimatsu b. 1879 |
Murder, Robbery ~~~~~~~~ Yes |
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Summary The owner of a small silk shop was robbed and murdered in Nagoya. The two actual suspects (ages 22 and 26) fingered Yoshida (age 34) as the principal criminal. Yoshida was tortured and confessed. Court Chronology District Court: 1913/Aug/13 Actual suspects: life imprisonment. Yoshida: death. High Court: 1914/Jul/31 Yoshida's sentence is reduced to life. Supreme Court: 1914/Nov/04 Confirms all sentences. Later Actions 1930: Two actual perpetrators are paroled. 1935: Yoshida is paroled. (Very unusual without an admission of guilt.) 1936: Actual perpetrators admit to framing Yoshida. Tokyo Shinbun (Newspaper) runs article entitled "A Contemporary Count of Monte Cristo" ( 今様巖窟王 Imayou Gankutsu Oh ) 1958: 4th petition for retrial is denied. Yoshida seeks help of Abe Haruo-a prosecutor in the Ministry of Justice. Abe is sympathetic and directs Ishimatsu to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren). 1959: Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) launches a special committee to investigate the case. The Parliament also takes notice. 1960: Nagoya High Court grants retrial. Prosecution protests the act as illegal. 1962/12/06: Supreme Court affirms the Nagoya High Court ruling and grants a retrial. 1963/02/08: Nagoya H.C issues a verdict of 'not guilty' Nearly 50 years later. Of Interest: The decision in the retrial case was broadcast live on t.v.-a rarity. The court awarded payment of 3,155,000 yen for 21 years, 7 months and 7 days (7889 days x 400 yen/day) of wrongful incarceration. It also made reference to "The Count of Monte Cristo" in it’s decision. 1963/12/01 Ishimatsu passes away. His tombstone reads "The God of Human Rights Sleeps Here (人権の神ここに眠る)."
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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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Yura 由良 Hyogo |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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綾瀬母子強盗殺人事件 |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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高隅事件 （鹿児島夫婦殺し事件) |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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市原両親殺害事件 |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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浅虫 青森浅虫温泉放火事件 Aomori |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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湯河（湯河原放火事件） |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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八丈 八丈島事件 |
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Summary Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions |
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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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Yamagata Meirin Middle School 1993 |
Seven defendants--name withheld because all are minors. |
Murder and Robbery |
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Summary The accused were found guilty of wrapping a student in a large gym mat which resulted which caused death. Found guilty in the criminal courts, they were absolved of guilt in a civil trial. Court Chronology District Court High Court Supreme Court Later Actions http://www.jiadep.org/ |
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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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Yokota Base Bombing Case Tokyo 2013 2016 |
Numata Toyotsune 沼田豊綱 Age 62 at time of incident |
Manufacture and firing of bombs. |
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Summary Bombs were fired at the US Yokota airbase in 2013. Numata, suspected of being a member of a leftist political group, was arrested and charged. The prosecution asked for 30 years. The court found that "though his participation is suspect, his connection to the group is not understood, and evidence is lacking." NOTE: This is believed to be the second highest case-in terms of sentence severity- of a not guilty verdict handed down under the mixed jury system. |
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Court Chronology |
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2020/12/18 |
District Court |
Not Guilty |
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High Court |
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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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Summary |
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Court Chronology |
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High Court |
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Supreme Court |
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Later Actions 1964 January 31 Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) launches a special committee to investigate the case. Retrials |
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District Court |
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