Japan Executes Arsonist for 2009 Osaka Pachinko Parlor Fire

Japan executed a man on Friday for a fatal 2009 arson attack on an Osaka gaming venue, marking the first execution under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government. The Justice Ministry announced that Sunao Takami, 58, was hanged after being convicted of killing five people in the blaze.

Takami was executed on August 21, 2026. According to Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Takami doused a pachinko parlour near his home with gasoline and ignited it with a match in 2009. The fire killed four customers and one employee, and injured ten others. Takami was convicted of murder, attempted murder, and arson. He was sentenced to death in 2011, and his appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected in 2016.

"This incident resulted in extremely serious consequences... and sent shock waves through society and instilled a deep sense of fear," Hiraguchi told reporters. He stated that he ordered the execution after careful consideration. The minister confirmed that Takami was informed of his impending execution on Friday morning, in line with Japan's standard practice of notifying prisoners only on the day of their hanging. Hiraguchi defended this policy, saying that advance notice could...