Japan Executes Man Who Used Twitter To Lure, Kill Suicidal Victims
Japan has executed 33-year-old Takahiro Shiraishi, widely known as the “Twitter Killer,” nearly eight years after he murdered and dismembered nine people he met via social media platform Twitter, now known as X.
Shiraishi was hanged on Friday, marking Japan’s first execution since July 2022.
He had lured eight women and one man — many of whom were struggling with suicidal thoughts — to his apartment in Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, where he killed and mutilated them in 2017.
The grisly crimes, including storing body parts in coolers, stunned the country and drew international outrage.
Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who signed the execution order, described Shiraishi’s actions as “selfish and heinous,” adding that the decision to proceed with the hanging came after a thorough review. “It was a painful decision, but one that reflects the gravity of the offences,” Suzuki told reporters.
Shiraishi had confessed during his trial, stating that he contacted vulnerable individuals online, pretending to help them end their lives before murdering them. He was sentenced to death in 2020.
The execution is the first carried out under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s administration, which came into power in October 2024. Japan, like the United States, retains the death penalty and carries out executions by hanging — often without prior notice to the inmates, a practice condemned by human rights groups as inhumane.
Despite international criticism, capital punishment continues to enjoy overwhelming support in Japan. A 2024 government survey indicated that 83 percent of citizens viewed it as “unavoidable.”
The case reignited scrutiny over Japan’s justice system, particularly in light of the wrongful conviction of Iwao Hakamada, who spent more than 50 years on death row before being acquitted in 2024.
Shiraishi’s execution is one of the most notorious since the 2018 hanging of cult leader Shoko Asahara and 12 members of the Aum Shinrikyo sect, responsible for the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack.
Japan and the U.S. remain the only G7 nations that still enforce the death penalty.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
