Senior officials from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the Japanese prosecution authorities issued a formal apology to the family of Shizuo Aijima, a former adviser to the machinery maker Ohkawara Kakohki, who was wrongfully detained and died of stomach cancer during his detention. Aijima, aged 72 at the time of his death, remained under the status of a defendant throughout his detention. On August 25, 2025, the police deputy superintendent general Teruo Kamata, the head of the Public Security Department at the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office Takashi Koike, and the deputy chief prosecutor of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Koji Ichikawa visited Aijima's grave in a Yokohama cemetery to apologize directly to his family. The officials acknowledged that illegal investigations and arrests had been conducted, causing severe human rights violations. Despite the apology, Aijima's family, including his wife and son, expressed that they could not forgive the authorities and requested a re-investigation and reconsideration of disciplinary actions against those involved. The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office had previously published a verification report admitting insufficient confirmation of exculpatory evidence but stated it had no plans to reconsider disciplinary measures, as no officials had been sanctioned. The case has drawn attention to the handling of wrongful arrests and the consequences of prosecutorial and police misconduct in Japan.
川重、海自潜水艦エンジンで検査データ改ざんか 20年間不正の疑い https://t.co/Le4vO7lqev
Japanese officials apologize at grave of wrongfully detained man denied timely cancer treatment https://t.co/hPHDDei9mA https://t.co/vvews1E7uy
Japanese police apologise at grave of man denied cancer care https://t.co/QBrozRlp4R