Japan Executes ‘Twitter Killer’

The  First Death Sentence Since 2022

Takahiro Shiraishi hanged for murdering and dismembering nine people lured via social media

A Case That Shocked the Nation

Takahiro Shiraishi, infamously known as the “Twitter Killer,” was executed on Friday for the grisly murders of nine individuals in 2017. The 33-year-old lured victims—eight women and one man—through social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, by responding to posts expressing suicidal thoughts.

Shiraishi offered to help his victims die or even accompany them in death. Instead, he strangled them, sexually assaulted the female victims, and dismembered their bodies, storing the remains in his apartment. His crimes stunned Japan, a country known for its low crime rate but unflinching capital punishment laws.

Swift Justice, Silent End

Shiraishi was sentenced to death in 2020 after pleading guilty to all charges. His execution took place at the Tokyo Detention House under a veil of secrecy. In line with Japanese protocol, no advance notice was given to the inmate or the public. The hanging was only confirmed once it had already occurred.

Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki approved the execution, citing Shiraishi’s “extremely selfish motives” and the “great shock and unrest” caused to society. The victims were aged between 15 and 26—many of them teenagers grappling with mental health issues.

A System Under Fire, Yet Firm

Japan remains one of the few developed nations to enforce the death penalty, alongside the United States. Executions are conducted by hanging, and prisoners often receive notification only hours before.

While international human rights organizations criticize the practice for its psychological toll and lack of transparency, public support for capital punishment in Japan remains strong. According to Justice Minister Suzuki, nearly half of Japan’s current 100 death row inmates are seeking retrials.

Recurring Debate, Rare Action

Shiraishi’s execution is the first in nearly three years. The previous case was the 2022 hanging of a man involved in the 2008 Akihabara stabbing spree. Each execution reignites debate over Japan’s justice system, but legislative momentum toward abolition remains minimal.

As the nation processes the end of one of its most disturbing modern criminal chapters, the tension between public sentiment, judicial severity, and international criticism continues to simmer, largely unchanged.