What is the status of death row inmates in Japan?

Japan maintains capital punishment as a legal penalty, applied mainly for aggravated murder through long-drop hanging. As of August 2026, there are 100 inmates awaiting execution on death row in the country. The practice continues to receive strong support from a large majority of the Japanese population.

What we know

• As of August 21, 2026, exactly 100 death row inmates were awaiting execution in Japan. [2]
• Executions in Japan are carried out by long drop hanging at one of seven execution chambers located in major cities, a practice also influenced by broader global retention trends where dozens of countries still keep the death penalty in law and practice. [2, 5]
• Death sentences in Japan are typically passed in cases of multiple murders, or extremely grave single murders involving extreme brutality, torture, or kidnapping for ransom. [2]
• A government survey conducted in 2025 showed that approximately 83.1% of the Japanese population supports the death penalty. [2]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow are executions performed in Japan?
• the bigger pictureWhich countries still practice capital punishment?
• a case in pointWho was Sunao Takami?
• compared withWhy do some prisoners volunteer for the death penalty?
• how we knowHow does public opinion affect the death penalty in developed democracies?
• an unexpected connectionWhy do prisoners sometimes ask to be executed?While Japanese inmates await execution under strict state control, some prisoners in other jurisdictions actively volunteer for death sentences and waive appeals.

Sources

• [1]capital punishment in Japan (Wikidata Q2195495) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Capital punishment in Japan · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Outline of capital punishment · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Voluntary capital punishment · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Capital punishment by country · CC BY-SA 4.0