Top Japanese Officials Apologize at Grave for Wrongful Detention Death, Renewing Calls to End ‘Hostage Justice’

In a rare and significant move, Japan’s top law enforcement officials knelt and prayed at the grave of businessman Shizuo Aishima yesterday, August 25, 2025, offering a public apology to his family for his wrongful arrest and death after months of pretrial detention.

Aishima, a former adviser to Ohkawara Kakohki, was one of three executives illegally held in custody on charges that were ultimately dropped. His case has become a flashpoint for critics of Japan’s controversial ‘hostage justice’ system, where lengthy detentions are often used to pressure suspects into confessions.

Officials from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, the top public prosecutor’s department, and the Tokyo prosecutor’s office made the unprecedented visit to Aishima’s family and grave in Yokohama. Tetsuro Kamata, deputy superintendent-general of Tokyo Metropolitan Police, stated during a televised meeting with the family, “We sincerely apologize for conducting the illegal investigation and arrest.”

While Aishima’s wife accepted the apology, she conveyed, “I won’t be able to forgive.” The family’s lawyer, Tsuyoshi Takada, emphasized that the detention, authorized multiple times by courts, was not an isolated error, urging judges to learn from the case and prevent future victims of ‘hostage justice’. Aishima’s eldest son, while seeing the acknowledgment of unlawfulness as a step forward, called for a new investigation into the case.

Aishima was diagnosed with progressive cancer in October 2020 but remained detained, with prosecutors arguing he might destroy evidence. He died in February 2021, just a month after being hospitalized, without being able to see his colleagues.

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