Japan prides itself on safety and low crime—but behind that reputation lies a justice system critics call “hostage justice.” In this episode, we unpack how suspects can be held for weeks without charge, denied bail, and interrogated without lawyers until they confess—sometimes falsely. Through chilling cases like the Ohkawara Kakohki executives, one of whom died in custody, we explore why prosecutors wield such extraordinary power and why convictions are almost guaranteed. Does Japan’s system deliver order at the cost of rights? And can modest reforms fix a model many now argue is fundamentally broken?

https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/11/07/why-suspects-in-japan-are-almost-never-acquitted