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Japan’s Longest Wrongful Conviction Seeks Justice
88 year-old Iwao Hakamada who endured over 47 years on death row for a crime he did not commit, has officially filed a compensation claim of approximately 217 million yen (around $1.4 million) against the Japanese government.
Arrested for the 1966 murder of a family of four in Shizuoka Prefecture, he was sentenced to death based on what was later revealed to be fabricated evidence.
After decades of appeals, a retrial in 2024 finally cleared his name, making his case the longest-known wrongful conviction in Japan’s history.
His legal team has now taken the matter to the Shizuoka District Court, demanding financial redress.
Under Japan’s compensation law, those acquitted after wrongful imprisonment can receive between 1,000 and 15,000 yen per day of incarceration.
Iwao Hakamada’s claim seeks the maximum amount allowed, totalling 217 million yen.
If approved, it would set a record for criminal compensation in Japan.
Yet, many argue that this sum is a mere fraction of what he truly deserves after nearly five decades of isolation, facing the constant fear of execution.
Hakamada’s release in 2014 brought an end to his physical confinement, but the psychological scars remain.
Spending almost his entire adult life in solitary confinement under the looming threat of death has had irreversible effects on his health.
Though the legal system has finally acknowledged his innocence, the damage inflicted by its failures cannot be undone.
His case sheds light on the deep flaws in Japan’s judicial process, particularly the heavy reliance on forced confessions and the limited recourse for those wrongly convicted.
With the compensation claim now under review, the case has reignited debate about the fairness of Japan’s justice system.
Critics argue that wrongful convictions like Hakamada’s expose the urgent need for reform, particularly regarding capital punishment.
As public scrutiny intensifies, the question remains: will the legal system fully recognise the unimaginable suffering he endured, or will this case serve as another reminder of how unforgiving justice can be?