HIGH COURT CONVICTIONS
Updated April 27, 2007
List of death sentences handed down by the high courts.
All cases are being appealed to the Supreme Court.
High Court Death Penalty Statistics
Total Defendants 42
Men 39
Women 3
Non-Japanese (Chinese=2)
Originally Sentenced to Life Imprisonment 7 (Sentences raised to death upon appeal).
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Name (last/first) F-female Place of Detention High Court Decision Date District Court Decision Date |
Case Name Date of Incident |
Notes |
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Horie Mamoro 堀江守男 Hachioji Hospital 91/03/29 Sendai HC 88/09/12 Sendai DC |
Elderly Couple Murder Case 老夫婦殺人事件 86/02/20 |
SC granted attorney's appeal after defendant dropped case. |
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Rikuta Masashi 陸田真志 Tokyo 01/09/11 Tokyo HC 98/06/05 Tokyo DC |
SM Club Multiple Murders 95/12/21 |
Author of "Living with death: philosophical dialogue behind bars." |
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Tanaka Atsuhiko 田中 敦彦 Osaka 01/12/25 Osaka HC 00/03/16 Osaka DC L.I. |
Murder of 2 Right Wing Leaders 右翼幹部ら２人 殺人事件 92/94 |
Previous name was Hisahori. Originally sentenced to life Imprisonment. Death sentence imposed on appeal. |
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Yokoyama Masato 横山真人 Tokyo 03/05/19 Tokyo HC 99/09/30 Tokyo DC |
Subway Gassing Case 地下鉄サリン事件 95/03/20 |
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Hatamoto Satoru 端本悟 Tokyo 03/09/18 Tokyo HC 00/07/25 Tokyo DC |
Attorney Sakamoto Family & Matsumoto Sarin Gassing Cases 89/11&95/03 etc |
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Kobayashi Yasuo 林 泰男 Tokyo 03/12/05 Tokyo HC 00/06/30 Tokyo DC |
Matsumoto & Subway Sarin Gassing Cases 94/06/27 etc. |
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Xue Song 薛 松 Tokyo 04/01/23 Tokyo HC 02/02/22 Tokyo DC |
Kasugabe Chinese Couple Murder 春日部中国人夫婦 殺人事件 00/09 |
Chinese national. Insists mistakes made at trial and that sentence is unjust. |
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Ui Shunji 宇井俊次 Hiroshima 04/02/25 Hiroshima HC: Okayama Branch 03/05/21 Okayama DC |
Women Murder Case 女性殺人事件 01/08/09 |
Crime committed while on parole from life imprisonment. |
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Hamakawa Kunihiko 浜川邦彦 Nagoya 04/03/22 Nagoya HC 02/12/18 Tsu DC |
Mie Double Shooting Case 三重男性２人 射殺事件 |
Denies the charges. |
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Hayakawa Kiyohide 早川紀代秀 Tokyo 04/05/14 Tokyo HC 00/07/28 Tokyo DC |
Attorney Sakamoto Family Murder(x3) 89/11 |
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Sotou Moto-oh 外尾 計夫 Fukuoka 04/05/21 Fukuoka HC 03/01/31 Nagasaki DC |
Father & Child Murder for Insurance Case 父子保険金 殺人事件 92/09/11 98/10/27 |
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井上嘉浩 Inoue Yoshihiro Tokyo 04/05/28 Tokyo HC Death 00/06/06 Tokyo DC LI |
Subway Gassing and others. 94/01~95/03 |
Originally sentenced to life Imprisonment. Death sentence imposed on appeal. |
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Gotou Ryouji 後藤良次 Tokyo 04/07/06 Tokyo HC 03/02/24 Utsunomiya DC |
Utsunomiya Miyabe Murders 宇都宮水戸殺人事件 00/07/30~08/20 |
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Toyoda Tohru 豊田亨 Tokyo 04/07/28 Tokyo HC 00/07/18 Tokyo DC |
Subway Gassing and others. 95/03/20 etc |
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Hirose Kenichi 広瀬健一 Tokyo 04/07/28 Tokyo HC 00/07/18 Tokyo DC |
Subway Gassing and others. 95/03/20 |
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Shoji Kouichi 庄子幸一 Tokyo 04/09/07 Tokyo HC 03/04/30 Yokohama DC |
Yamato Wife Murders 大和連続主婦 殺人事件 01/08/29~09/19 |
Accomplice received life imprisonment (prosecution demanded death). |
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Yagi Shigeru 八木茂 Tokyo 05/01/13 Tokyo HC 02/10/01 Saitama DC |
Saitama Insurance Murders(x2) & Attempted Murder 埼玉保険金殺人(２件) 同未遂事件（１件） 95/06/03 & 99/05/29 |
Denies the charges. Book about the case entitled "Itsuwari no Kioku." |
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Hattori Junya 服部純也 Tokyo 05/03/29 Tokyo HC 04/01/15 Shizuoka DC Life |
Mishima College Student Burning Murder 三島短大生 焼刹事件 02/01/23 |
Originally sentenced to life Imprisonment. Death sentence imposed on appeal. |
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Furusawa Tomoyuki 吉沢友幸 Tokyo 05/05/24 Tokyo HC 04/03/30 Tokyo DC |
Yokohama Family Stabbing Murder(x3) 横浜一家三人 刺殺事件 02/07/31 |
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Ube Yasuaki 上部康明 Hiroshima 05/06/28 Hiroshima HC 02/09/20 Yamaguchi DC Shimoseki Branch |
Shimonoseki Station Multiple Murders (x5) & injuries (10) 下関駅５人殺害 １０人傷害事件 99/09/29 |
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Hayashi Masum(F) 林真須美 Osaka 05/06/28 Osaka HC 02/12/11 Wakayama DC |
Wakayama Curry Case & others. 98/07/25 etc |
Insists upon innocence. Has support association and publishes a newsletter Aosora Tsuushin. Author of "…" |
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Sekine Hajime 関根元 Tokyo 05/07/11 Tokyo HC 01/03/21 Urawa DC |
Saitama Multiple (x4) Murders 埼玉連続４人 殺人事件 1993 |
Denies the charge of murder. |
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Kazama Hiroko(F) 風間博子 Tokyo 05/07/11 Tokyo HC 01/03/21 Urawa DC |
Saitama Multiple (x4) Murders 埼玉連続４人 殺人事件 1993 |
Codefendant with Sekine above. Denies the charge of murder. |
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Kaga Seisho 加賀聖商 Tokyo 05/07/19 Tokyo HC 04/02/04 Yokohama DC |
Kanagawa Mother Daughter Murder 神奈川母子 殺人事件 01/08/04 |
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Ito Atsushi 伊藤稔 Toyama 06/02/16 Nagoya HC 04/03/26 Toyama DC |
Takaoka Yakuza Chief & Wife Shooting 高岡組長夫婦 射殺事件 00/07/13 |
3 defendants implicated in the shooting. Accomplices received lesser sentences. |
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Niimi Tomomitsu 新見智光 Tokyo 06/03/15 Tokyo HC 02/06/26 Tokyo DC |
Crimes of Aum Shinrikyo 89/11~95/03 |
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Kohinata Masato 小日向将人 Tokyo 06/03/16 Tokyo HC 05/03/28 Maebashi DC |
前橋スナック乱射事件 Maebashi Night Club Shooting Case 03/01/25 |
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Yoshida Junko (F) 吉田純子 Fukuoka 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. 2 accomplices received lesser sentences. |
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Suga Mineo 菅峰男 Fukuoka 06/05/24 Fukuoka HC 04/03/11 Fukuoka DC |
Fukuoka Shohnai Multiple Murders 福岡庄内連続 殺人事件 96/06/08~11/19 b. 1951 |
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Teshiba Katsutoshi 手柴勝敏 Fukuoka 06/05/24 Fukuoka HC 04/03/11 Fukuoka DC L.I. |
Fukuoka Shohnai Multiple Murders 福岡庄内連続 殺人事件 96/06/08~11/19 b. 1944 |
Originally sentenced to life Imprisonment. Death sentence imposed on appeal |
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F.T. Hiroshima 06/06/20 SC (Remanded) 02/03/14 Hiroshima HC L.I. 00/03/22 Yamaguchi DC L.I. |
Hikari City Mother Daughter Murder 光市母子殺人事件 1999/04/14 |
Twice sentenced to life Imprisonment. Name withheld because defendant was a minor at the time of the crime. |
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Tsuchiya Masami 土屋政美 POD: Tokyo 06/08/18 Tokyo HC 04/01/30 Tokyo DC |
Crimes of Aum Shinrikyo 89/11~95/03 b. 1965 |
Accused of manufacturing lethal gasses but not their release. Did not attend HC trial. |
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Yamamoto Kai-ichi 山本開一 06/09/28 Tokyo HC 05/09/08 Saitama DC |
組員５人射殺事件 Shooting of 5 Yakuza |
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Onokawa Mitsunori 小野川光紀 POD: Tokyo 06/09/29 Tokyo DC 04/03/26 Saitama DC |
パチンコ店員連続 殺人事件 Pachinko Parlor Multiple Murders 03/02/23~04/01 |
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Miyagi Yoshie 宮城吉英 06/10/05 Tokyo HC 05/12/12 Chiba DC |
Double Yakuza Murders 05/04/25 b. 1956 |
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Ikushima Kenji 幾島堅治 POD: Toyama 06/10/12 Nagoya HC 05/01/27 Toyama DC |
高岡組長夫婦 射殺事件 Takaoka Yakuza Chief & Wife Shooting Case 00/07/13 b. 1946 |
Previous name was Ohta. Co-defendant with Ito Atsushi currently before the SC. |
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Mori Takemitsu 森健充 POD: Osaka Osaka HC 06/12/15 Osaka DC 05/08/?? |
Mother Child Arson Murder b. 1957 |
Originally sentenced to life Imprisonment. Death sentence imposed on appeal. Osaka prison guard. Denies the charges, case based solely on circumstantial evidence. |
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Fujisaki Shuji 藤崎宗司 06/12/22 Tokyo HC 05/12/22 Mito DC |
Elderly Women Strangulations(x2) 05/01/18~28 b. 1961 |