The case of Takahiro Shiraishi – the “Twitter killer” is one of the most terrifying true crime stories to come out of Japan. His depraved killing spree took place between Aug. and Oct. 2017 and resulted in the deaths of nine people: one man and eight young women, three of them high school girls.
Shiraishi was dangerous long before he began killing. His job was as a “scout” for Tokyo brothels, with his job to lure young women to the city with the promises of work, only to deliver them into the arms of pimps who’d exploit them for years. Even among the scouts, Shiraishi has a bad reputation, with locals considering him “creepy”.
If they’d known what he was up to in his apartment, we suspect they’d have gone further than “creepy”. Shiraishi scoured Twitter for people he thought might be at risk of suicide, lured them to his home, then either watched them kill themselves or did the job himself. The one man he killed was the boyfriend of one of the women who was frantically searching for his partner.
#TwitterKiller–#TakahiroShiraishi was executed today for dismembering 9 people [ 2017]. The first death penalty serves as a harsh lesson for public witness. The accused plead guilty.#JapanExecution is by #JudicialHanging only. #CapitalPunishment pic.twitter.com/DsSbfdmm7d
— Dr. Subhash (@Subhash_LiveS) June 27, 2025
Now, some of you might think, “well, they were already suicidal so is this really that bad”? Maybe ask the cops who turned up at his apartment to find nine dismembered bodies stuffed into the freezer and various storage boxes.
Shiraishi went on to underline that he convinced his victims to come over as part of some bizarre fetishistic fantasy, saying his plan was to seek out vulnerable people he could manipulate and sexually assault, desiring victims who would be unable to say no.
Past tense
He’s a true monster. Or, at least, he was. Earlier today, Shiraishi was executed by hanging at the Tokyo Detention House, the first execution in Japan since 2022. Justice Minister Keisuku Suzaki signed off on his execution, saying:
“Nine victims were beaten and strangled, killed, robbed, and then mutilated with parts of their bodies concealed in boxes, and parts discarded in a garbage dump. After much careful consideration, I ordered the execution.”
The death penalty remains a controversial issue for Japan, with inmates not told their execution date and simply finding out when guards arrive at their cells to take them to the gallows. There’s also widespread criticism of Japan’s judicial system, which strongly encourages defendants to plead guilty and has resulted in several shocking miscarriages of justice.
Despite this, there’s overwhelming public support in Japan for executing their worst prisoners, with a 2024 poll indicating 83% consider death an “unavoidable” punishment for the most serious crimes. Nobody will mourn Shiraishi, and many will consider justice done. After reading about his crimes, it’s difficult to disagree.
