Man acquitted of 1966 murder case to file damages suit vs Japan gov't
His lawyers said at a press conference they plan to file the suit around the anniversary of the Shizuoka District Court's Sept. 26 acquittal of Hakamada, 89, in the murder of four members of a family. They have not decided the amount of damages they will seek.
Hakamada's acquittal was finalized last October, ending his family's decades-long fight to free him from death row. The court found that investigative authorities had fabricated evidence in the case.
The court ordered the government to pay him around 217 million yen ($1.5 million) in criminal compensation in March, saying that the fabrication served as the "basis" for determining the amount.
The presiding judge said Hakamada spent about 33 of his years in detention under a death sentence, causing him to suffer "extremely severe" mental and physical pain.
In a separate suit to be filed on Aug. 18, the legal team plans to seek around 5 million yen in damages for defamation over Prosecutor General Naomi Unemoto's remark that the acquittal ruling was unacceptable, saying the decision "contains numerous problems in its reasoning."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
a minute ago
Vietnamese Technical Intern Arrested for Alleged Murder in Saga
Saga, July 28 (Jiji Press)--Police have arrested a 24-year-old Vietnamese man on suspicion of murdering a woman at a house in Imari, Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan. In the incident, which occurred on Saturday, Maiko Mukumoto, a resident of the house, and her mother in her 70s were stabbed with a knife-like object, leaving Mukumoto, a 40-year-old Japanese language instructor, dead and the mother injured. The suspect, Dam Duy Khang, working in Japan under the country's foreign technical intern training program, was arrested on Sunday. He told the police that he does not want to say anything. An autopsy found that Mukumoto suffered multiple stab wounds on her neck and abdomen and that she died from loss of blood. The Saga prefectural police are investigating the suspect's motive, believing that he had strong intent to kill. The suspect, also a resident of Imari, allegedly broke into Mukumoto's house around 4:20 p.m. on Saturday. He is suspected of threatening Mukumoto with a knife, stealing 11,000 yen in cash and killing her by slashing her neck. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
31 minutes ago
Researchers from Japan, China Discuss Cooperation
Beijing, July 27 (Jiji Press)--Researchers from Japan and China exchanged opinions on social challenges and bilateral cooperation in a forum held in Beijing on Sunday. The forum for Japanese and Chinese researchers to hold dialogue to enhance friendship as well as human and cultural exchanges took place for the first time in Tokyo last year. Sunday's session, jointly hosted by the Japan-China Friendship Center in Tokyo and a foundation under the Publicity Department at the Communist Party of China's Central Committee, was the second of its kind. It was held some 10 days after a Chinese court handed down a prison sentence to a Japanese worker of Astellas Pharma Inc. of Japan for his espionage activities in China. Participants, including Tomoki Kamo, professor from Japan's Keio University, exchanged opinions on social issues confronting Japan and China, such as declining birthrates and aging populations, and discussed how the two neighboring countries should cooperate. "Academic exchanges between Japan and China are decreasing, a situation that will significantly affect the mutual understanding of Japanese and Chinese people," Yuji Miyamoto, chief of the Japan-China Friendship Center and former Japanese ambassador to China, said, underscoring the importance of dialogue. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Kyodo News
2 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: July 28, 2025
TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- SDF request led to nuclear threat scenario in Japan-U.S. exercise TOKYO - The Japanese Self-Defense Forces strongly urged the U.S. military during a joint command post exercise last year to mirror any nuclear threat made by China with one of its own, government sources said Sunday. The United States ultimately complied with the request in the simulation exercise that envisioned a potential invasion of Taiwan by Beijing, raising concerns that Japan's push to invoke nuclear deterrence could exacerbate tensions between the United States and China. ---------- U.S., EU clinch trade deal setting 15% tariff on most European goods TURNBERRY, Scotland - The United States on Sunday clinched a trade agreement with the European Union, setting a 15 percent across-the-board tariff on cars and most other goods from the 27-member bloc, President Donald Trump said, calling the deal "very satisfactory to both sides." Under the agreement, the EU will buy $750 billion worth of American energy and invest an additional $600 billion in the world's largest economy, Trump said following a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. ---------- Baseball: Ichiro reflects on legendary career in Hall of Fame speech COOPERSTOWN, New York - Ichiro Suzuki, the first Japanese member of the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame, shared his inspiration to play in the majors while thanking his family and teammates in his induction speech Sunday. The former Seattle Mariners outfielder began his speech in Cooperstown, New York, by calling himself a third-time rookie, now as a member of the hall, after being a rookie in Japan in 1992 and a major league rookie in 2001 at age 27. ---------- Nobel panel, A-bomb survivors urge youth to carry torch of peace TOKYO - The Norwegian Nobel Committee and Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors, jointly urged younger generations at an event Sunday in Tokyo to "carry the torch" for peace by listening to the stories of survivors and keeping up the momentum for nuclear disarmament. "The nuclear taboo is under threat, and the hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) are aging. In not too many years, we will no longer have the testimonies of those who were there, those who could tell this story," said Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes. ---------- 3 suspected drones intruded on premises of Japan nuclear complex TOKYO - Three bright objects believed to be drones intruded on the premises of the Genkai nuclear power complex in southwestern Japan, the country's nuclear watchdog said Sunday, correcting its statement the previous day that drones had been spotted. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said Saturday it was informed of the incident by Kyushu Electric Power Co., the operator of the four-reactor Genkai Nuclear Power Station. ---------- U.S. brokers cease-fire after Cambodia, Thailand border clashes WASHINGTON/BANGKOK - The leaders of Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to meet immediately and work on a cease-fire following cross-border attacks, U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday after speaking with them by phone. Clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in a disputed border area have continued since Thursday, leaving several people dead including civilians. Each side has accused the other of initiating the fighting. ---------- Video: Fireworks light up summer skies over Tokyo's Sumida River
