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Japan has executed Takahiro Shiraishi, the man dubbed the “Twitter Killer,” for the 2017 murders and dismemberment of nine people he lured via social media. Shiraishi, 34, was hanged at the Tokyo Detention House, marking the country’s first use of capital punishment in nearly three years.

Using a social media account that loosely translates to “hangman,” Shiraishi targeted vulnerable individuals, many of whom had expressed suicidal thoughts online. He used Twitter, now known as X, to attract his victims.

His crimes shocked the nation and raised questions about both mental health support and capital punishment policy in Japan.

According to a CNN Report:

“He caused great shock and unrest to society,” said Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who signed off on the execution. “It is not appropriate to abolish the death penalty while these violent crimes are still being committed.”

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Twitter Killer Lured Through Social Media

Shiraishi invited victims to his Zama apartment southwest of Tokyo, offering to assist with their suicides. But instead, he sexually assaulted and murdered them, later dismembering the bodies in his bathroom, which was described as a sealed unit bath.

Authorities discovered three cooler boxes, and five storage containers filled with human remains in his apartment.

His arrest came during a police search for a missing 23-year-old woman, which led to the shocking discovery of eight female victims aged 15 to 26 and one male victim.

“He dismembered the bodies in his bathroom,” according to
Kyodo News, which also reported neighbors complaining about a persistent “foul smell” coming from his unit.

Capital Punishment in Japan

Shiraishi’s death sentence was finalized in 2020 after he pleaded guilty. His execution was carried out in secret, as is customary in Japan. The government typically notifies neither the family nor legal counsel in advance.

The father of one of the victims told NHK that he would have preferred life imprisonment over execution:

“I’d rather have seen him spend his life reflecting on the crimes he committed, than simply losing it through the death penalty.”

Shiraishi’s hanging has reignited debates in Japan about the use of capital punishment, especially after Iwao Hakamada, the world’s longest-serving death-row inmate, was exonerated after 56 years, when evidence was found to have been falsified by police.

Mental Health and Social Media Vulnerability

The case also spotlighted Japan’s ongoing mental health crisis and high suicide rate, which had seen a temporary decline before rising again amid COVID-19-related societal pressures.

"This case is a tragic intersection of untreated mental health issues and the dangers of unregulated online spaces," said a social welfare advocate in Tokyo.

As Japan grapples with modern challenges such as cybercrime, mental health, and capital punishment, Shiraishi's crimes remain one of the country's most disturbing in recent memory.

Related Links:

• CNN
• Kyodo News
• Kyodo 2021 ruling finalization