13,500 Interrogations Recorded in At-Home Cases in Japan

Tokyo, Sept. 16 (Jiji Press)--Japan's prosecution recorded or videotaped about 13,500 interrogations during the half year through March in at-home cases involving suspects not arrested or held in custody, the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office said Wednesday.

About 9,000 of the cases resulted in indictments without arrest, the office said, disclosing the numbers of audio- or video-recorded interrogations in at-home cases for the first time since the prosecution began its trial to make interrogations more transparent through recording in April 2025.

The office said that preparations for the recording, including the introduction of necessary equipment, had been completed across the prosecution by October 2025. It did not disclose the proportion of at-home cases in which interrogations were recorded.

Deputy Prosecutor-General Takashi Shinkawa told reporters that the number was "quite small," but added that "there was growing momentum to pursue the practice actively."

The trial covers cases in which indictment is expected and suspects' statements are important to establish facts, as well as those in which disputes over interrogation methods or content may arise.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]