Wrongful Convictions
List of 196 Wrongful Convictions in Japan.
Issues / Data
Death
Penalty
List of Death Row Inmates
Issues / Data
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Retrials! GRANTED!
Tokyo High Court orders retrial in 1966 Iwao Hakamata murder case !
( More )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Japan high court approves posthumous retrial of man over 1984 murder!
( More )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
World's Longest Serving Death Row Inmate
ODA Nobuo Arrested 1966!
Retrial Possible!!?
Police admit to hiding evidence.(More)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Extensive Data Base of Wrongful Convictions in Japan
(from 1912-present)
Wrongful Convictions:
Issues/Charts/Data
Welcome to the Japan Innocence and Death Penalty Information Center.
Michael H. Fox
Director
About JIADEP
Contact / 連絡先
Execution Watch 2023
Hangings = 0
Last hanging: 2022/07/25
~~~~
Current death row population = 106
View the list
~~~~~~
Total Executions
1993→today = 132
Issues / Data Bank
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Masaki Tanabe is released!
Completes 17 Year Term
One of the most egregious cases of wrongful conviction, Tanabe was originally found not guilty of child murder, only to be convicted on appeal. This case is one of 12 confirmed as a miscarriage of justice by the JFBA (More). See also JIADEP's chart: "Double Jeopardy."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exonerated Defendant Faces Down Police Tormentor in Court.
Keiko Aoki, who spent 20 years incarcerated due much to a coerced confession-questioned her interogator in a civil suit. (Note: very dramatic). View
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOT GUILTY!
Convictions of Two non-Japanese charged with smuggling narcotics are overturned!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE: The Kansai Ready Made Concrete Case. 23 arrests in a massive case of union busting. Union chief given suspended sentence! Prosecution requested 8 years imprisonment. ( More )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Review
In the spring of 1961, Tairyu Furukawa, a Buddhist prison chaplain, learned that two death row prisoners under his watch were likely innocent. He discussed these fears with his wife Michiko, and from that instant, both decided to exert their energies and savings to save these prisoners from wrongful execution. They lived many months with their children in abject poverty battling for justice.
The case, known as the 'Fukuoka Incident' would become very well known in Japan, and still remains alive today. Sister Helen Prejean would soon become a dear ally. And Tairyu would later venture to the vatican. This is an amazing tale! ( More )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JUSTICE DENIED: Retrials Rejected
All 3 cases have been confirmed as wrongful convictions by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
( More )
Recent News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shaken Baby Syndrome Cases -NOT GUILTY!
In a country with a conviction rate of 99%, decisions of not guilty are rare. But Japan has seen a tide of "not-guilty verdicts in SBS cases, including 2 in two days. Most neurological experts believe that SBS is a fabricated phenomena. JIADEP has prepared a comprehensive chart of these cases with (minor) some English reportage (More) .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~
Newsletter!
JIADEP has begun a newsletter.
Stay abreast of recent criminal justice news. (View!)
To subscribe, send mail to jiadep.org@gmail.com
~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Death Penalty in 2020
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Noteworthy Publications
"Gangsters and foreigners have no rights."
Former prosecutor Hiroshi Ichikawa, who was removed from office for beating a suspect, candidly divulges interrogation room policy and techniques. More
〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JIADEP is in partnership with the worldwide movement to abolish capital punishment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
