In a significant turn of events regarding the 1984 Hino Town incident, the Supreme Court of Japan has decided to allow a retrial for Hiroshi Sakuhara, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a 69-year-old liquor store owner. The case took place in Shiga Prefecture, where the victim was killed and the store's safe stolen. Asahi Shimbun has been investigating and documenting the case through extensive records and interviews with witnesses, set to present in a series scheduled for release in March 2024, shedding light on both the investigative processes and the judicial proceedings surrounding this case.

During the initial client meeting, problematic elements surfaced as the young lawyer, Keiji Yamamoto, noticed the defendant's fearful demeanor. Instead of proclaiming his innocence, Sakuhara appeared broken and withdrew, anxiously requesting his lawyer not to pursue the defense and advising family members to avoid visiting him. This unsettling encounter highlighted the distress experienced by Sakuhara, who, rather than demonstrating confidence in his innocence, behaved as someone defeated by the system, raising questions about the reliability of his earlier confessions and the pressures he faced under police custody.

The rise of wrongful convictions in Japan has sparked efforts to reform the country’s retrial system, pointing out the excessive hurdles imposed when challenging convictions. Yamamoto's reflections indicate a broader issue at play within Japan's criminal justice system: the determination of authorities to maintain a narrative that implicates specific suspects, often at the expense of justice for the innocent. This case exemplifies the critical need for scrutiny in judicial processes, as it brings to light the traumatic experiences of defendants and the necessity for reforms to ensure equitable treatment under the law.