Japan Executes Pachinko Parlour Arsonist Amid International Criticism The execution of Sunao Takami, convicted of an arson attack on a pachinko parlour in 2009 that killed five people, marks a grim milestone in Japan's capital punishment saga.
With this hanging, Japan has returned to the forefront of international criticism, joining only the United States as a G 7 country clinging to the death penalty.
The Japanese public appears largely supportive of capital punishment, with an 83% approval rating in a 2024 government survey.