Tokyo, Japan – After spending more than five decades on death row, the world’s longest-serving death row inmate, Iwao Hakamata, has been declared innocent by a Japanese court, lifting a shadow that has lingered over the country’s criminal justice system. Hakamata, now 88, was wrongfully condemned in 1968 for the murder of his boss and his family, thrust into a life-long battle to prove his innocence and challenge unjust prosecutorial practices.
Hakamata was first implicated when police discovered a pair of bloodied trousers in a miso tank at the soybean processing plant where he worked in Shizuoka, central Japan. The initial trial led to a death sentence based on a confession Hakamata later recanted, claiming it had been coerced through physical and psychological abuse by police investigators.
The persistence of Hakamata’s legal team, along with growing international scrutiny, eventually led to a retrial. Critical to his defense was new DNA evidence that did not link Hakamata to the bloody clothing that had been key to his conviction. Despite being granted a retrial in 2014, his actual acquittal only came after a lengthy judicial process, culminating in 2023 when the Tokyo High Court, on orders from Japan’s Supreme Court, finally cleared him of all charges.
Reforms in police and prosecutorial procedures have been a significant topic in Japan, a nation where the pressure to secure convictions often leads to an over-reliance on confessions. Hiroshi Ichikawa, a former prosecutor not involved in the case, highlighted a cultural legal environment where failing to secure a conviction can damage a prosecutor’s career, potentially leading to aggressive tactics to extract confessions.
The retrial and subsequent acquittal shed light on these practices, emphasizing the potential for miscarriages of justice under such a system. Chiara Sangiorgio, a Death Penalty Advisor at Amnesty International, pointed out that Hakamata’s case underscores deep issues within the Japanese criminal justice system, including the treatment of death row inmates who often face solitary confinement and are executed with minimal notice.
Hakamata’s wrongful incarceration spanned nearly half a century, affecting his mental and physical health. Released a decade ago pending his retrial but still largely confined due to his deteriorating mental state, his life has been marked by severe psychological scars. His sister, Hideko, 91, who has steadfastly campaigned for his exoneration, shared that while Hakamata now lives somewhat detached from reality, recent years have seen moments of joy, such as adopting two cats which have brought a noticeable positive change in his demeanor.
The case has reignited debate over Japan’s death penalty, with Hakamata’s supporters arguing that his ordeal exemplifies the risks of capital punishment. Japan remains the only G7 country besides the United States that retains the death penalty, a policy increasingly at odds with its international image as a forward-looking nation.
As Hakamata adjusts to life outside prison, his case remains a poignant reminder of the fallibility of any justice system and the human cost of its failures. Supporters continue to advocate for legal reforms, hoping that Hakamata’s decades-long ordeal will lead to significant changes in how justice is administered in Japan. The echoes of his case are likely to influence discussions on judicial reforms and the future of the death penalty in the country for years to come.