Japan’s Longest-serving Death Row Inmate Gets $1.4m For 40-Year Wrongful Imprisonment

A Japanese man, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and holds the record as the world’s longest-serving death row inmate, has been awarded $1.4 million in compensation after spending over 40 years in prison, an official announced on Tuesday.

Iwao Hakamada, a former boxer, now aged 89, was exonerated last year for the 1966 quadruple murder after a relentless campaign by his sister and others. Hakamada was granted a retrial in 2022, and the Shizuoka District Court ruled on Monday that “the claimant shall be granted 217,362,500 yen” (approximately $1.4 million), as compensation for his wrongful conviction.

This payout amounts to roughly $83 for each day Hakamada spent in detention, the majority of which was spent on death row, where he faced the constant threat of execution.

The Shizuoka District Court, in its September ruling, determined that Hakamada was not guilty and that police had tampered with evidence to secure his conviction. The court also noted that Hakamada had suffered “inhumane interrogations meant to force a statement (confession)” that he later retracted.

The compensation payout marks a record for wrongful imprisonment compensation in Japan, according to local media. However, Hakamada’s legal team has argued that the amount fails to adequately reflect the mental and emotional toll his wrongful imprisonment had on him.

For over four decades, Hakamada lived with the looming threat of execution, which took a significant toll on his mental health. His lawyers have described him as “living in a world of fantasy,” and noted that the emotional and psychological scars of such prolonged confinement are immeasurable.

Hakamada’s case marks a significant moment in Japan’s post-war history as he was the fifth death row inmate to be granted a retrial. In the four previous cases, the inmates were also exonerated.

Hakamada’s exoneration stands as a tragic reminder of the potential for miscarriage of justice, especially when the judicial system is influenced by flawed investigations and coerced confessions. Despite his wrongful imprisonment, Iwao Hakamada’s legal victory is a landmark moment, showing that justice, though delayed, can eventually be served.