Japan has carried out the execution of Takahiro Shiraishi, the man dubbed the “Twitter killer,” who was convicted of murdering nine individuals in 2017. The execution, which took place on Friday at the Tokyo Detention House, marks the first use of capital punishment in Japan since 2022. Shiraishi, 34, had been sentenced to death in 2020 after admitting to the killings.
The serial murders had deeply shocked the country, prompting widespread discussion about the ways in which suicide is discussed and accessed online.
The ‘House of Horrors’
Shiraishi’s victims, most of whom were young women aged between 15 and 26, were lured to his apartment. He admitted to strangling and dismembering them. The horrific details came to light in October 2017, when police discovered body parts in coolers and tool boxes at his flat in Zama, near Tokyo, while investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman. Media outlets quickly dubbed the scene a “house of horrors.”
Takahiro Shiraishi
— 심연숙 (@2GPcMplIhsKgqRl) June 27, 2025
He killed 9 schoolgirls #twitterkiller #UPDATE Japan has executed a man dubbed the "Twitter killer" who murdered and dismembered nine people he met online. 2025.6.27
It was Japan's first execution since 2022 pic.twitter.com/ok0tJxWqJC
Investigators established that Shiraishi had contacted his victims through Twitter, now known as X. He would offer to assist them with their suicidal thoughts, in some cases even claiming he would take his own life alongside them. His Twitter profile contained the words: “I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM [direct message] me anytime.”
During his trial, prosecutors sought the death penalty. Shiraishi’s lawyers initially argued for a lesser charge of “murder with consent,” asserting that his victims had given permission to be killed, and also requested an assessment of his mental state. However, Shiraishi later contradicted his own defence team, stating that he had killed the victims without their consent. In December 2020, hundreds of people attended his verdict hearing, where he was found guilty of murder, rape, and dismemberment, and sentenced to death.
Japan’s Justice Minister, Keisuke Suzuki, who authorised Shiraishi’s hanging, stated that the decision was made after “careful examination,” taking into account the convict’s “genuinely selfish reason of satisfying his own sexual and financial desires.” Suzuki added that the case “caused great shock and anxiety to society.” He also publicly defended the continued use of capital punishment, saying, “It is not appropriate to abolish the death penalty while these violent crimes are still being committed.” Japan currently has 105 inmates on death row.
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The murders also prompted a direct response from Twitter (now X), which amended its rules to explicitly state that users should not “promote or encourage suicide or self-harm.”
The execution comes amidst growing calls for the abolition of capital punishment in Japan. This debate has gained recent momentum following the acquittal of Iwao Hakamada last year, who had been the world’s longest-serving death-row inmate, spending 56 years awaiting execution before a retrial heard that police had falsified evidence against him. Families and lawyers of executed individuals in Japan are typically notified only after the execution has been carried out, a practice that contributes to the secrecy surrounding the process.
If you are feeling emotionally distressed and would like details of organisations which offer advice and support:
In the UK, you can call for free, at any time, to hear recorded information on 0800 066 066.
In Japan, you can seek help through various support services.
