Murder in Japanese law

Murder (殺人) in Japanese law constitutes when someone intentionally kills another person without justification.

The crime of murder is specified in Chapter XXVI of the Japanese criminal code. It is punishable by five years to life in prison, and with the death penalty if aggravating circumstances are proven. The only exception is for juvenile offenders since the minimum age for capital punishment in Japan is 18.

Aggravated murder
The death penalty is permissible when aggravating circumstances are decided to be proven by a nine-person panel of six jurors and three professional judges. The list of death penalty-permissible aggravating circumstances are if the murder was committed:
 * Along with one or more other murders
 * With torture of the victim
 * During the commission of a kidnapping
 * During the commission of a robbery
 * During the commission of a hostage-taking
 * During an act of insurrection
 * During an act of treason
 * During an act of espionage
 * During an act of arson
 * During the commission of an intentional derailment of a train or sinking of a ship
 * During the commission of intentional water poisoning
 * During an act of rape
 * During the commission of an aircraft hijacking
 * During the commission of an intentionally caused aircraft crash

If not given the death penalty, aggravated murder is punished by life imprisonment.

Insanity
Like most other developed countries, Japan has a process for insanity pleas in homicide cases. If a defendant is found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, the defendant is committed to legally mandated hospitalization.

Offenses and sentences
Japanese law specifies a variety of homicide offenses, for which the definitions, requisite articles of the Penal Code, and sentences are listed below.