Iwao Hakamada, an 88-year-old former boxer, was acquitted by the Shizuoka District Court in Japan after spending nearly 46 years on death row for a 1966 quadruple murder. The court found that his alleged confession was coerced and highlighted multiple instances of evidence fabrication. This ruling makes Hakamada the fifth death-row convict in postwar Japan to be exonerated in a retrial, reigniting discussions on the country's death penalty practices. Hakamada's original conviction resulted from accusations of killing a family and setting their home on fire, for which he was sentenced to death in 1968. Rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have hailed this decision as a pivotal moment for justice in Japan and are advocating for the abolition of the death penalty. Hakamada's lengthy ordeal reflects systemic issues within the Japanese criminal justice system, sparking calls for significant reforms.