Japan: Compensation for the world's longest-serving death row inmate

The compensation is equivalent to 12,500 yen (about $83) for each day of the more than 40 years Mr. Hakamada was incarcerated — much of that time on death row, where every day could have been his last, according to a government official.

Mr Hakamada, now 89, was a former boxer who was cleared last year after a relentless campaign by his sister and human rights groups. He had previously been convicted of four murders in 1966.

According to a spokesperson for the Shizuoka District Court, the compensation decision was made on March 24 and "the plaintiff will receive 217.36 million yen" (more than 1.4 million USD).

The court previously acquitted Hakamada in a retrial in September 2024, concluding that the police had falsified evidence to convict him. According to court documents, Hakamada was subjected to inhumane interrogations and forced confessions.

According to local media, the compensation amount is considered a record in similar wrongful conviction cases in Japan. However, the plaintiff's legal team asserted that this amount cannot compensate for the damage that Mr. Hakamada has suffered for decades.

His long imprisonment, with the constant fear of execution, has taken a serious toll on his mental health. His lawyers describe him as “living in a fantasy world”, unable to come to terms with reality.

Mr. Hakamada is the fifth death row inmate in postwar Japan to be retried. Notably, all four previous cases ended in acquittal.