Japan Grants Historic $1.4M Compensation to Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate
Japan has awarded a record-breaking ¥217 million ($1.44 million) in compensation to Iwao Hakamada, an 89-year-old former boxer who spent nearly five decades in prison for a crime he did not commit. His wrongful conviction for a 1966 quadruple murder was overturned last year, making him the longest-serving death row inmate in history to be exonerated.
Decades of Injustice: A Shocking Case of Wrongful Conviction
Hakamada was arrested in 1966 for the murder of his former employer and his family. Although he initially confessed, he later retracted his statement, alleging that police had coerced him during 20 days of relentless interrogation. Despite these claims, he was convicted and sentenced to death in 1968.
For 46 years, most of them spent in solitary confinement, Hakamada lived under constant threat of execution. His sister, along with human rights advocates, campaigned tirelessly for his release. In a landmark ruling, the Shizuoka District Court overturned his conviction in 2023, citing police misconduct and evidence tampering.
A Record Compensation—But Far From Justice
On Monday, a Japanese court ruled that Hakamada should receive ¥12,500 ($83) for each day of his wrongful imprisonment, totaling ¥217 million—the highest criminal compensation payout in Japan’s history.
However, Hakamada’s legal team argues that no amount of money can undo the psychological damage he endured. The prolonged isolation and fear of imminent execution took a severe toll on his mental health, with his lawyers describing him as "living in a world of fantasy."
Japan’s Death Penalty Under Scrutiny
Hakamada is only the fifth death row inmate in post-war Japan to be granted a retrial—and all previous cases also resulted in exonerations. His case has reignited debate over Japan’s capital punishment system, which remains in place despite growing concerns over wrongful convictions.
Japan is the only major industrialized democracy besides the United States that still enforces the death penalty, a practice that continues to have widespread public support. Yet, as cases like Hakamada’s expose flaws in the system, calls for reform are growing louder.
Will this landmark ruling push Japan toward greater justice reform, or will similar cases continue to unfold?