Overview

• On August 7, Shiga Police Chief Hisaaki Ikeuchi personally apologized to Mika Nishiyama at a Hikone government office, marking the first direct apology for her coerced confession and wrongful conviction.
• The Otsu District Court ruled on July 17 that Nishiyama’s interrogation was unlawful and ordered Shiga Prefecture to pay approximately ¥31 million in compensation.
• Ikeuchi vowed to conduct future investigations with greater meticulousness and fairness to prevent similar injustices.
• Nishiyama has appealed to the Osaka High Court after the national government’s refusal to recognize her claim for state compensation.
• She said the apology provided a sense of closure but questioned whether repeated assurances will avert future wrongful convictions.