Overview

• In Sendai a lay judge panel sentenced Yamaguchi Yuu to 21 years for killing and dismembering his 22-year-old acquaintance after rejecting his seizure-based defense and acquitting him on separate assault charges.
• Nagoya District Court gave 90-year-old Osaki Kugo a three-year prison term suspended for five years, citing the severe psychological toll of years spent single-handedly caring for his wife with dementia.
• Osaka High Court overturned Kobe District Court’s January order for former lawmaker Higashitani Yoshikazu to pay ¥10 million in defamation damages and sent the case back for retrial over flawed service of court papers.
• Presiding Judge Hamamoto Akiko ruled that conventional public notice through court bulletin boards was illegal without first attempting direct notification via social media messaging.
• The decisions showcase Japan’s saiban-in system in scrutinizing intent and evidence in violent crimes alongside emerging demands for fair trial procedures in digital-era civil disputes.