4. Number of death sentences in Supreme court (Since 1956)
The following statistics are based on the "Annual Report of Judicial Statistics ('Shiho-Tokei') ("司法統計年報," from FY1956 to the present)”.
Sources

Outcomes of Supreme Court proceedings in cases of death sentences imposed by High Courts

Total
number ofsentencesin
Supreme
Court

YEAR

High Court judgments reversed
Number ofappeals

Supreme Court imposed
sentencedeath
penalty

SupremeCourt
sentence other remanded/tr
than death
ansferredAppealdismissed

Indictment
dismissed

Appealwithdrawn

penalty17Supreme Court
substituted
Results of the Supreme court inlesser
case of death penallty
Reversed bysentence ofsentenced by High Courts:
High Courts andHigh Court
Annual Report of Judicial
imposed thecourt with
Statistics ('Shiho-Tokei')
death penalty
death penalty
II(Criminal)
1956 vol.2, p.420-1, Cases of
Criminal Appeals(Table 6)

Showa 31

1956

1717

Showa 32

1957

1923

Showa 33

1958

1717

Showa 34

1959

1217

Showa 35

1960

31

32

31

Showa 36

1961

1616

16

1961 vol.2, p.308-9, Cases of
Criminal Appeals(Table 7)

Showa 37
Showa 38Showa 39Showa 40
Showa 41
Showa 42
Showa 43
Showa 44
Showa 45
Showa 46
Showa 47
Showa 48
Showa 49
Showa 50
Showa 51
Showa 52
Showa 53
Showa 54
Showa 55
Showa 56
Showa 57
Showa 58
Showa 59
Showa 60
Showa 61
Showa 62
Showa 63
Showa 64 /Heisei 1
Heisei 2
Heisei 3

1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988

13
13
10
5
9
12
8
9
9
6
6
3
1
2
1
2
4
4
4
3

13
13
10
6
10
12
9
9
10
7
642
2
12
544
3

13
13
10
5
9
128
9
9
6
63
1
2
1
2
4
4431962 vol.2, p.310-1

451(acquitted)
1

1-19

1957 vol.2, p.386-7, Cases ofCriminal Appeals(Table 7)171958 vol.2, p.304-5, Cases ofCriminal Appeals(Table 7)121959 vol.2, p.304-5, Cases ofCriminal Appeals(Table 7)11960 vol.2, p.308-9, Cases ofCriminal Appeals(Table 7)

1963 vol.2, p.278-9, (Table 93)
1964 vol.2, p.278-9, (Table 93)11965, p.566-7, (Table 89)1

1966, p.566-7, (Table 88)
1967, p.554-5, (Table 87)
1968, p.542-3, (Table 87)
1969, p.554-5, (Table 87)1970, p.552-3, (Table 87)11971, p.556-7, (Table 87)
1972, p.580-1, (Table 87)111973, p.588-9, (Table 82)
1974, p.586-7, (Table 82)
1975, p.358-9, (Table 72)
1976, p.358-2, (Table 72)
1978, p.358-2, (Table 72)
1979, p.350-1, (Table 69)
1979, p.350-1, (Table 70)
1980, p.350-1, (Table 69)
1981, p.350-1, (Table 69)
1982, p.350-1, (Table 69)
1983, p.346-7, (Table 69)

31

3
1

3
16769672

1988, p.348-9, (Table 70)

1989

575

1

1989, p.360-1, (Table 70)

1990
1991

74

7
4

1984, p.346-7, (Table 69)
1985, p.348-9, (Table 70)
1986, p.348-9, (Table 70)

174

1987, p.348-9, (Table 70)

1990, p.360-1, (Table 70)
1991, p.368-9, (Table 70)

See the "5.
Number ofdeath
sentences andlife
imprisonment
sentences bytrial level"page.

4. Number of death sentences in Supreme court (Since 1956)
The following statistics are based on the "Annual Report of Judicial Statistics ('Shiho-Tokei') ("司法統計年報," from FY1956 to the present)”.
Sources

Outcomes of Supreme Court proceedings in cases of death sentences imposed by High Courts

Total
number ofsentences
inSupreme
Court

YEAR

Heisei 4
Heisei 5
Heisei 6
Heisei 7

1992
1993
1994
1995

452
3

High Court judgments reversed
Number ofappeals

Supreme Court imposed
sentencedeath
penalty

SupremeCourt
sentence other remanded/tr
than death
ansferredAppealdismissed

Indictment
dismissed

45
2
3

1

Appealwithdrawn

penalty56
3
3
1 (life1992, p.368-9, (Table 70)

11199645

Heisei 9
Heisei 10
Heisei 11
Heisei 12
Heisei 13
Heisei 14
Heisei 15Heisei 16
Heisei 17
Heisei 18
Heisei 19
Heisei 20
Heisei 21
Heisei 22
Heisei 23
Heisei 24
Heisei 25
Heisei 26
Heisei 27
Heisei 28
Heisei 29
Heisei 30
Heisei 31/
Reiwa 1
Reiwa 2
Reiwa 3
Reiwa 4

1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018

4
5
4
3
4
2
0
13
10
16
18
8
16
7
22
9
6
6
3
6
3
2

4
5
4
3
4
3
2
14
10
16
19
10
17
8
22
10
6
6
3
632

2019

3

33

2020
2021
2022

1201
3

121

Reiwa 5

2023

343

1

1

1993, p.370-1, (Table 70)
1994, p.370-1, (Table 70)
1995, p.370-1, (Table 70)

Heisei 8imprisonment)

Supreme Court
substituted
Results of the Supreme court inlesser
case of death penallty
Reversed bysentence ofsentenced by High Courts:
High Courts andHigh Court
Annual Report of Judicial
imposed thecourt with
Statistics ('Shiho-Tokei')
death penalty
death penalty
II(Criminal)

4

1996, p.370-1, (Table 70)

4
5
4
342

1997, p.370-1, (Table 68)

13
10
16
18
816
722
96
6
3
6
32

1998, p.370-1, (Table 68)
1999, p.114-5, (Table 63)
2000, p.114-5, (Table 63)
2001, p.114-5, (Table 63)1
1
1

2002, p.114-5, (Table 63)1

2003, p.114-5, (Table 63)
2004, p.114-5, (Table 63)
2005, p.116-7, (Table 64)
2006, p.128-9, (Table 72)

1

1
1
1

2007, p.128-9, (Table 72)
2008, p.128-9, (Table 72)
2009, p.134-5, (Table 77)
2010, p.140-1, (Table 80)
2011, p.140-1, (Table 80)

1

See the "5.
Number of
deathsentences andlife
imprisonment
sentences bytrial level"page.

2012, p.140-1, (Table 80)
2013, p.140-1, (Table 80)
2014, p.140-1, (Table 80)
2015, p.140-1, (Table 80)
2016, Table 80
2017, Table 80
2018, Table 80
2019, Table 80
2020, Table 80
2021, Table 80
2022, Table 80
2023, Table 80

Hyphens ("-") mean that no statistical data exists.
The statistics on the number of death sentences issued by the High Courts and the Supreme Court, as compiled by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, "Considering the Abolition of the Death
Penalty(https://www.nichibenren.or.jp/activity/criminal/deathpenalty/shiryou.html#data02_1)", were calculated using the following formulas:[total sentences in High Courts] = [dismissal] + [reversed and rendered] + [withdrawal][total sentences in Supreme Court] = [dismissal] + [reversed and rendered] + [withdrawal]

4. Number of death sentences in Supreme court (Since 1956)
The following statistics are based on the "Annual Report of Judicial Statistics ('Shiho-Tokei') ("司法統計年報," from FY1956 to the present)”.
Outcomes of Supreme Court proceedings in cases of death sentences imposed by High Courts

YEAR

Total
number ofsentencesinSupremeCourt

High Court judgments reversed
Number ofappeals

Supreme Court imposed
sentencedeath
penalty

SupremeCourtsentence other remanded/tr
than death
ansferred
penalty

We calculated these same statistics by using the following formulas:[total sentences in High Courts] = [dismissal] + [reversed and rendered][total sentences in Supreme Court] = [dismissal] + [reversed and rendered]
Recommended citation: “Number of death sentences in Supreme court(crimeinfo.jp)”

Appealdismissed

Indictment
dismissed

Appealwithdrawn

Sources
Supreme Court
substituted
Results of the Supreme court inlesser
case of death penallty
Reversed bysentence ofsentenced by High Courts:
High Courts andHigh Court
Annual Report of Judicial
imposed thecourt with
Statistics ('Shiho-Tokei')
death penalty
death penalty
II(Criminal)