The Japan Innocence and Death Penalty Information Center (jiadep.org)
Japan: Women and the Death Penalty: 4 Charts
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Chart A: WOMEN UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH IN JAPAN = 7
Chart B: Women Executed in the Postwar Era (1970~now) =5
Chart C: Women: Detention Deaths in the Postwar Era (2008~now) = 4
Chart D: Comparative Metrics Japan v USA
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Chart A: WOMEN UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH IN JAPAN = 7
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Fujinami Tomoko (F) 藤波知子 b. 1945 age = 78 (Previous family name was Miyazaki.) Nagoya 2007/03/24 Toyama DC Retrial Request Dismissed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1998/09/04 SC 1992/03/31 Nagoya HC 1988/02/09 Toyama DC |
Toyama Nagano Double Women Murder 富山長野2女性 殺人事件 1980.02.23 & 1980.03.06 |
A male accomplice first admitted guilt but later recanted, and was found not guilty. Insists the real culprit is someone else. |
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Ishikawa Keiko(F) 石川恵子 b. 1959 Fukuoka 2006/09/21 SC 2003/03/27 Fukuoka HC Miyazaki Branch 2001/06/20 Miyazaki DC |
Miyazaki Double Women Murder 宮崎２女性 殺人事件 1996/08 & 97/06 |
Denies the charges, has plead innocent. |
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林真須美 b. 1961/07/22 Osaka 2009/04/21 SC 2005/06/28 Osaka HC 2002/12/11 Wakayama DC |
Wakayama Curry Case Murders (x4) 1998/07/25 |
Insists upon innocence. Case based upon circumstantial evidence. Has support association and publishes a newsletter entitled "Aozora Tsuushin." 2021/06/20 New appeal filed. Currently being defended by a former judge. Read Hayashi's letter to Michael Fox [ Read ] |
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Kazama Hiroko(F) 風間博子 Tokyo 2009/06/05 SC 2005/07/11 Tokyo HC 2001/03/21 Urawa DC |
Saitama Dog Lover's Multiple (x4) Murders Case 埼玉愛犬家 連続殺人事件 1993 |
Codefendant with Sekine Hajime who was sentenced to death and later died in prison. Denies participation in the murder. |
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Kitamura Mami (F) 北村真美 b. 1959 2011/10/03 SC 2007/12/25 Fukuoka HC 2006/10/17 Fukuoka DC Kurume Branch |
Ohmuta Quadruple Murders 大牟田４人殺人事件 2004/09/18 |
Entire family of four sentenced to death. Husband and elder son sentenced on 2007/02/27. |
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Doi Kanae (F) 木嶋佳苗 b. 1975 2017/04/13 SC 2014/03/12 Tokyo HC 2012/04/13 Saitama DC |
Sequential Suspicious Tokyo Murders (x3) 首都圏連続不審死事件 2009 Jan~August |
14th death sentence handed down by mixed jurors. Previous name was Kijima (More) |
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Kakehi Chisako (F) 筧千佐子 b. 1947 Age= 76 2021/06/29 SC 2019/05/23 Osaka HC 2017/11/7 Kyoto DC |
Triple Murder (Husband and two common law partners) |
27th death sentence handed down by mixed jurors. 70 years old at time of sentence. Suffers from dementia. High court denied a second psychiatric review. |
Chart B: Women Executed in the Postwar Era (1970~now) =5
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Women Executed 1970~Now |
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Yoshida Junko (F) 吉田純子 born 1959 Fukuoka 2016/03/30 Executed (Age 57) ~~~~~~~~~ 10/03/18 SC 06/05/16 Fukuoka HC 04/09/24 Fukuoka DC |
Multiple Insurance Murders by Nurses 看護士連続保険金 殺人事件 98/01/24~ 99/03/27 |
Sentenced to death despite confession. Actual culprits received lesser sentences. |
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Eto Sachiko (F) 江藤幸子 born 1947 2012/09/27 Executed (age 65) ~~~~~~~ 08/09/16 SC 05/11/22 Sendai HC 02/05/10 Fukushima DC |
Sukagawa Exorcist Deaths(x6) 須賀川信者6人変死事件 Dec '94 June '95 |
The defendant's mental competence was in dispute by experts. Co-conspirators received lesser sentences. ( More ) |
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HN (F) 1997/08/11 Executed Age 51 ~~~~ Sentence confirmed after defendant withdrew appeal. |
Yubari Arson-Insurance Murders 1984/May (x4) |
Husband executed on the same day. First instance of a married couple being executed together. |
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Sugimura Sadame (F) Born 1911 1970/09/19 Executed (Age 59) |
Female Multiple Poisonings 1960/Nov ~ Dec |
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Kobayashi Kau (F) Born 1908 1970/06/11 Executed (Age 52) |
Hotel Nippon Kakusatsu Murders 1961/Feb |
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Chart C: Women: Detention Deaths in the Postwar Era (2008~now) = 4
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Female Deaths in Detention 2008~ present ( x4) |
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Ueta Miyuki (F) 上田美由紀 b. 1974 2023/01/14 Died (48) 〜〜〜 2017/07/27 SC 2014/03/20 Hiroshima HC 2012/12/04 Tottori DC |
Murder/Robbery of Two Male Acquaintances |
15th death sentence handed down by mixed jurors. ( More ) |
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Nagata Hiroko （F) 永田洋子 b. 1945/02/08 Tokyo Died 2011/02/06 (Age 65) ~~~~~~~~~ 93/02/19 SC 86/09/26 Tokyo HC 82/06/18 Tokyo DC |
Red Army Activities 連合赤軍事件 1971--72/02 |
Considered the charge of complicity to be extra-judicial and requested extradition abroad. Author of "16 Grave Inscriptions," "I am alive," and other works (in Japanese). |
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Sakamoto Haruno( F) 坂本春野 Osaka Died 2011/01/27 (aged 83) 〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜 04/11/19 SC 00/09/28 Takamatsu HC 98/07/29 Takamatsu DC |
Kochi Double Murder Case 高知２件連続 殺人事件 87/01 92/08 |
8th woman to be sentenced to death in post-war era. Age 77 at time of SC sentence. Insisted upon innocence. |
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Chiba Shoko (F) 千葉正子 b. 1962 2008/12/29 suicide. (Age 46) ~~~ ~~~ 2008/10/08 Iwate DC |
Iwate Temple Murder and Robbery 2007 June 11 |
( More ) |
Chart D: Comparative Metrics Japan v USA
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Women and the Death Penalty: Comparative Metrics. |
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USA |
Japan |
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DEATH ROW |
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Total Population 2023 |
2620 |
107 |
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Women # |
51 |
7 |
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Women % |
2.08% |
6.5% |
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EXECUTIONS |
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Total Executions |
(1976 ~ Now) 1567 |
(1993~ 2017) 130 |
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Women # |
17 |
3 |
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% of Total |
0.84% |
2.7 % |
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Note: From 2018 to 2021, 21 executions occurred in Japan, all men. But most of these were members of a single religious cult who carried out crimes in the 1990’s. Thus, the earlier date shows a more accurate metric over the long term. |
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