In October 2023, on a sunny morning by the Japanese coast, a 90-year-old woman named Hideko Hakamada led a procession towards the main courthouse in Shizuoka. She was accompanied by lawyers and supporters, carrying a sky-blue banner. As they approached, a crowd of around 300 people began to clap and chant in support. This was Hideko's journey to right a wrong that had occurred 55 years earlier in the same building.

Unraveling the Tale of a Wrongfully Convicted Boxer

Section 1: The Beginning of the Struggle

Hideko Hakamada's brother, Iwao Hakamada, was a former professional boxer. In 1966, he was found guilty of murdering four people in a trial that was riddled with flaws and became a textbook example of wrongful conviction. He was sentenced to death and spent the next five decades in a state of fear. Prisoners in Japan are not informed of their execution dates, and Hakamada endured daily mental torture. His case became a symbol of "hostage justice" in Japan, where police have the power to hold suspects for months without legal representation.Hakamada was subjected to brutal interrogations for 23 days, lasting up to 16 hours a day, until he signed a confession that he later recanted. These practices have led to a high conviction rate but also numerous accusations of coercion. In Hakamada's case, it took over 50 years for him to receive a retrial.

Section 2: The Judge's Dilemma

One of the judges in Hakamada's trial, Norimichi Kumamoto, was a silent rebel against the Japanese justice system. At a young age, he was recognized for his brilliance and independence. He was an admirer of Chief Justice Earl Warren and believed in defendants' rights. During the trial, Kumamoto sensed that something was wrong as the prosecutors had no plausible evidence tying Hakamada to the crime. He criticized the investigators' tactics but was ultimately forced to write a decision finding Hakamada guilty. Kumamoto's role in the case haunted him for the rest of his life.

Section 3: The Impact on the Family

The 1968 death sentence was a devastating blow to the Hakamada family. Hakamada's mother fell into despair and died two months after the sentencing, and his father soon followed. Hakamada was so attached to his parents that his siblings kept the news from him for over a year. As he continued to write to his mother, he eventually learned the truth and was filled with anger and grief.Throughout the decades of Hakamada's imprisonment, his wife divorced him, and his son was placed in an orphanage. Hideko, Hakamada's sister, became his only hope. She visited him in prison as often as she could and worked hard to support the family.

Section 4: The Long Road to Exoneration

In 2014, after more than 30 years of pleading for a retrial, Hakamada was finally granted one. The judge ordered his immediate release and criticized the investigators for fabricating evidence. However, prosecutors appealed the decision, and Hakamada's case continued to drag on. Finally, in 2023, the Tokyo High Court affirmed his right to a retrial.During the retrial, the same exhibits from the original trial were presented, but Hakamada's discredited confession was withdrawn. The retrial gave a platform to opponents of hostage justice, and a nonpartisan group of Parliament members is now working to make it easier for defendants to receive a retrial.

Section 5: The Aftermath

When Hakamada was released in 2014, he seemed to struggle to understand the magnitude of what had happened. He often referred to his time in prison as "training" and believed that evil influences lurked around. Judge Kumamoto, who had written the 1968 decision, was seriously ill with cancer when Hakamada was released. The two men's lives had been intertwined for decades, but they had never met outside the courtroom.In early 2018, Hideko brought her brother to Kumamoto's hospital bed. The meeting was a poignant moment, as the two men faced each other after decades.In September 2023, Hakamada was finally acquitted. This was a balm for Hideko and her supporters, but it came too late for Kumamoto. His life was marked by guilt and regret for his role in the case.The Hakamada case is a powerful example of the flaws in Japan's criminal-justice system and the long struggle for justice. It has inspired a movement to address these issues and has drawn attention to the plight of wrongly convicted people.