Japan executes a man convicted of setting fire that killed 5 at a pachinko parlor in Osaka

Japan executed Sunao Takami, 58, by hanging on Friday for setting fire to an Osaka pachinko parlor in 2009, an act that killed five people and injured ten. This marks the first execution under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government. Takami was convicted of murder, attempted murder, and arson, with his appeals being rejected in 2016. Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi stated the execution was ordered after careful consideration, emphasizing the severe impact of the crime on society and victims. Japan currently has 100 individuals on death row. The execution occurred during a parliamentary recess, drawing criticism for potentially avoiding public debate, though Hiraguchi denied this was intentional. The country faces international pressure regarding capital punishment, with Japan and the U.S. being the only G7 nations to retain the death penalty.

Japan executed Sunao Takami, 58, for setting fire to a pachinko parlor in Osaka in 2009, resulting in the deaths of four customers and one employee. This marks the first execution in Japan since June of the previous year. Takami had doused the parlor with gasoline before igniting it. In 2011, a jury and judges rejected the defense's claim of mental illness and sentenced him to death. Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi stated the execution was ordered after careful consideration. This is the first execution under the current administration, following the execution of Takahiro Shiraishi last year for murdering nine people.

Japan executed Sunao Takami on Friday for an arson attack on a pachinko parlour in 2009 that resulted in five deaths. Takami poured petrol on the establishment near his Osaka home and set it ablaze, killing four customers and one employee. This execution marks Japan's first hanging since June 2025, when the "Twitter killer" Takahiro Shiraishi was put to death. The article states authorities confirmed the execution.