A man who set fire to a pachinko parlor and killed five people was executed in Japan
In Japan, a death sentence was carried out against 58-year-old Sunao Takami, who had been convicted of setting fire to a pachinko parlor in Osaka in 2009. Five people died in the fire. The execution was carried out by hanging, marking the first in Japan in over a year.
“Japan has executed a man who killed five people in a fire at a pachinko parlor in 2009. This is the first time in over a year that the country has carried out the death penalty,” the publication reports.
According to available information, 58-year-old Sunao Takami doused a pachinko parlor near his home in Osaka with gasoline and set it on fire. Four customers and one employee died in the fire. The man’s defense argued that Takami was suffering from a mental illness at the time of the crime, but a jury of six and a panel of three judges rejected this argument. In 2011, Takami was sentenced to death by hanging.
Japan and the United States are the only G7 countries that still impose the death penalty, and in Japan, prisoners sentenced to death are typically notified of their hanging only a few hours in advance, the publication reports.
“We ordered the execution after a careful and thorough review,” Japanese Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi said on Friday.
This was reported by the BBC.
Japan has described cooperation with the U.S., South Korea, and allies as critical.
Japan is preparing a language program for foreign residents.
