By M10News Crime Report | © M10News 2025
Japan has executed Takahiro Shiraishi, infamously dubbed the ‘Twitter Killer,’ following his conviction for murdering and dismembering nine individuals. His hanging marks Japan’s first use of capital punishment in nearly three years.
Shiraishi, 34, was sentenced to death for luring victims via social media, killing them, and dismembering their bodies in his small apartment in Zama, near Tokyo.
His crimes, which came to light in 2017, included the murders of eight women—three of whom were schoolgirls-and—and one man, the boyfriend of one of the female victims.
Authorities discovered human remains stored in three cooler boxes and five containers inside his apartment. The bones had been stripped of flesh, a gruesome detail that shocked the nation.
Shiraishi used social media to target individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts. Operating under a handle roughly translating to “hangman,” he promised his victims assistance in ending their lives but instead raped and killed them, according to Japanese media citing the indictment.
In court, Shiraishi admitted to all nine murders, stating that he killed his victims to satisfy his sexual desires.
Before settling in Zama, he had worked as a scout for sex parlours in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district, the city’s largest red-light area. Even then, locals had warned about his unsettling behaviour, labelling him a “creepy scout.”
The case fueled national debate about the dangers of social media and raised concerns over Japan’s system for monitoring vulnerable individuals online.
Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki confirmed he authorised the execution after “careful examination” of the case, describing Shiraishi’s motive as “extremely selfish” and acknowledging the widespread public shock his crimes caused.
“These heinous acts caused great shock and unrest in society,” Suzuki said.
Japan enforces capital punishment by hanging, with inmates typically informed only hours before the execution is carried out. Human rights groups have repeatedly criticised the practice, citing its psychological toll on death-row prisoners.
Despite growing calls from international organisations to end capital punishment, Suzuki defended Japan’s position. “It is not appropriate to abolish the death penalty while these violent crimes are still being committed,” he said.
Following Shiraishi’s execution, Japan’s death row population now stands at 105 inmates awaiting their sentences.
