Latest news with #Amano
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Auckland Restaurant Month: Where chefs want to eat and how much they'll tip
Edmundo Farrera, owner, Tacoteca: Mole. Emilie Pullar, pasta blogger and recipe developer, The Burnt Butter Table: The cheese-filled thin crispy bread at Amano. It gets me every time. Gareth Stewart, partner chef, Advieh: So many! The pork bossam at Majordoma in Los Angeles is a smoked and slow-cooked pork shoulder served with condiments. The best meal you've ever had in downtown Auckland? Emilie Pullar: Every meal we have had at Gilt has been incredible. Glen [File], the executive chef there, looks after us so well. It feels fancy but also so welcoming and casual at the same time. Gareth Stewart: That's a tough one. I am torn between Gemmayze Street and Hello Beasty. Two very different cuisines but both packed with flavour and both consistently good. Matty Opai: This is tough. Usually my go-to's are Soul, Oyster & Chop, and Wildfire. In saying that, I can't help but think my most memorable meal was at The White lady after a few too many tequilas. I'll spare you the details. Edmundo Farrera: Mr Javier Carmona made his version of frijoles charros at La Fuente. The casserole was cooked over charcoal – beans and guanciale base with smoked pork ribs, smoked yoghurt, grilled spring onion and salsa macha. Anyone who knows Mexican food was blown away that night! Sean Connolly: Cassia. Sublime. After travelling from Kashmir to Goa, I felt as though each dish was representative of villages and cities I had visited along the way. I could taste the regions. Their pani puri was an atomic burst of flavours on my palate and reminded me of the bhel puri I had eaten on the streets of Goa. Is there a perfect drink to begin a restaurant experience? Sean Connolly: Yes, and it's not water. Nothing turns me off more than being offered still, sparkling or tap. I like to start with a glass of bubbles, like No.1 Daniel Le Brun. Opens up the palate, gets the saliva going – it's a 'back of the net' kind of moment. Edmundo Farrera: Filthy martini (mine is with Mezcal and two olives). Emilie Pullar: Downtown, we head to The Nightcar for a cocktail before a meal, it's such a special place. Otherwise, I generally start with bubbles or a negroni. Gareth Stewart: I love to get things going with a dirty gin martini or Champagne. And a good old long lunch should have a few refreshing beers to break up the wines! Matty Opai: I love starting a meal with an Americano cocktail. Bittersweet and super refreshing. Having one makes my mouth water and gets me in the mood for eating. So, naturally, I have three. Matty Opai, beverage director at Sydney's Icebergs, is coming to Auckland Restaurant Month for a one-off collaboration with Soul Bar. The one thing you'll always order? Sean Connolly: If a menu looks like an explosion in a fireworks factory, I go straight for the steak, it's usually the most uncomplicated item on the menu. Gareth Stewart: Oysters. I love to start with a dirty gin martini or glass of Champagne matched with a few oysters, served natural. Emilie Pullar: Chocolate fondant. Matty Opai: I generally always go steak – the bigger the better. Love chewing on the bone of a rib-eye or T-bone. Edmundo Farrera: Fish - whole, if available. The Burnt Butter Table's Emilie Pullar (left) is joining forces with chef Sean Connolly's team at Esther for an Auckland Restaurant Month event. The one thing you'd like to see more of on a menu? Sean Connolly: There's not enough offal on menus these days. Cooking with offal feels like a lost art that should be rekindled. Every foodie and enthusiast I know always goes for the offal and unusual morsels. It's a place where the chef can show technical skill and passion for the dark art. Emilie Pullar: Chocolate fondant! (See previous question). Gareth Stewart: More alternative fish species. Sure, snapper is nice, but we should work harder at trying something else. At Advieh, we often use hake, Alfonsino, Southern Boar fish, monk fish and many more. Matty Opai: Offal. I know it sounds weird, but I absolutely love eating things like tendon, tripe, liver, sweetbreads, etc. Done right, it's 10/10. Edmundo Farrera: Seafood. We are an island nation. Can you remember your first restaurant experience? Matty Opai: Volare Italian restaurant at The Gardens, South Auckland, was Mum and Dad's favourite. I have photos of me dancing there and getting tips thrown at me as a 2-year-old. Edmundo Farrera: Of course I do, a seafood restaurant at the meeting place of river and sea in Coatzacoalcos, so you can smell the salinity before you get there. I remember having a prawn cocktail and the emotion of having a treat! Sean Connolly: Solo Mio, Huddersfield, Summer of 82. Chilled pepper smoked mackerel, aioli, lemon, brown bread and butter. Sole Mio, a popular Italian restaurant in Huddersfield's Imperial Arcade opened in 1975 and closed down 35 years later. The restaurant was run by Nino Granata and Mario Bortoletto and was a Huddersfield favourite Emilie Pullar: If I am answering this really honestly, it is a pizza place in Christchurch where I grew up called Spagalimis. It was the best place for a kid's birthday, and their fries were so legendary (years later, we all realised they were just frozen fries from the supermarket, and it really ruined the fantasy). Gareth Stewart: I remember being around 7 or 8 years old and being in a French restaurant in Portsmouth with my dad – pink tablecloths, and quite posh. It was the first time I tried escargot. I remember the tongs and the little picks. They were very garlicky ... liked the flavour and the chewy texture. I already knew that I wanted to be a chef so I was quite happy to try anything. Edmundo Farrera from Tacoteca, where Auckland Restaurant Month events include a hands-on Masa class with dinner and drinks. The most formative thing that's happened to you in a restaurant? Edmundo Farrera: Exposure to exquisite wines, those which are considered of higher importance than the food. I worked at Hakkasan in London under a tremendous wine buyer and head sommelier. Those sessions made me who I am in hospitality. Gareth Stewart: I would have been in my 20s and had booked a table in a Michelin-star restaurant; my first time dining in such a place. I was waited on by an older gentleman and he made us feel so unwelcome - like we didn't belong there. My girlfriend at the time felt very uncomfortable. It was from there that I knew that guests from any walk of life needed to feel welcome from the moment they entered the building. No judgment, just open arms and being made to feel like you belong. Matty Opai: Having BSY [Sydney chef] - Big Sam Young - dump a huge bump of caviar on my hand and completely fill my plate of anything in black truffles. Iconic! Sean Connolly: Being given the reins of Astral in 2007 - full control of both front and back of house - was the most exciting time of my career and the most stressful. I got alopecia and large clumps of my hair fell out, but it was worth it. Emilie Pullar: My husband and I have a favourite restaurant in Los Angeles called Bestia. It's impossible to get a table and the first time we went they could only fit us in at 5pm. The kitchen is open to the restaurant and because we were there so early, we got to see the full team of chefs come together and do a big huddle and chant to get themselves fired up. It was so incredible to see. When was the last time a restaurant dish surprised you? Sean Connolly: Ragtag's steak tartare taco, with pickled onion and cheese powder was off the hook. The lads there are doing an amazing job, and blew me away, to be honest. They weren't that good on My Kitchen Rules from memory. I voted them off, of which they kindly reminded me of. Emilie Pullar: I recently went home to Christchurch and had an amazing long lunch at Black Estate. They only had one dessert on the menu, which was a white chocolate, cream cheese, carrot ice cream situation. It's not something I would ever have chosen but we all agreed it was one of the best desserts we had ever had. It was honestly so perfect. Edmundo Farrera: It must be the chicken hearts with farofa at Tempero – no wastage! This is such an underrated ingredient. I love seeing it on the menu, and [chef] Fabio Bernadini's skill with bold Latin flavours. Matty Opai: I was in Bali and there was a tiny hole-in-the-wall place called Pasta Dealer. I'll be honest, in the middle of Canggu, I didn't have high hopes. I ordered spaghetti carbonara. Easily one of the single best pasta dishes I've ever had. A++++ Gareth Stewart: A restaurant in Singapore called Cure, owned by a friend of mine, Andrew Walsh. A box of Jammy Dodgers came to the table but when you ate them, they were stuffed with foie gras parfait and a raspberry jam. Utterly decadent and very clever. Gareth Stewart, partner chef at Advieh, one of the 100-plus restaurants offering special set-price, multi-course menus for Auckland Restaurant Month. Tipping – yes, no, how much and why? Gareth Stewart: On the most part, yes. If you have a good time, then definitely show your appreciation; however, it shouldn't be a given. Some establishments expect it even when the experience has been poor. There's always a danger that some servers are in it just for the tips and will sometimes give better service to a guest they think will pay out and neglect other tables. Matty Opai: Yes. Generally, even if the service isn't the best, there are still more people involved in your meal than that one server, who all deserve something. A few bucks here or there. I'll usually go 15-20% if I've had a belter of a time. Edmundo Farrera: Yes! But coming from Mexican hospitality, I will only do this if there is a display of the X factor, or if we simply want to support the staff or businesses. Sean Connolly: I always tip 10% and sometimes 15% depending how the meal went. There's an art to presenting the opportunity to the customer that not all restaurants have mastered. I find it an extraordinary, missed opportunity for the customer to show their appreciation. Emilie Pullar: I generally do, even if it's just a small gesture. To me, service is such a huge part of the dining experience, so I like to acknowledge it. You know you're in an Auckland restaurant when you're eating . . . Edmundo Farrera: Kingfish crudo, Te Matuku oysters or sliders of some sort after Al Brown started the trend. Sean Connolly: Katsu Sandwich at Hello Beasty - good tunes, great service. Emilie Pullar: Fish crudo! And I am so happy everyone has their own version, as it's the perfect way to start a meal for me. Gareth Stewart: Fried calamari. I'm pretty sure it's on most menus. There are a few of my squid dishes still floating around in previous restaurants. It is good. When you have the right balance of sauce and spice, and the squid is cooked beautifully, you can't go too wrong. Matty Opai: Te Matuku Oysters and whitebait. Both of those make me feel home again. Nothing better. The dish/ingredient/meal you're most excited to eat next? Matty Opai: The first thing I eat when I get to Auckland. Two steak and cheese pies and a punnet of kina. You can take the boy out of South Auckland … you know the rest! Edmundo Farrera: Ingredients? Anchovies with something. And the dish would be 'Taco de Lengua'. At Tacoteca, we're doing a special with incredible quality tongue. Sean Connolly: I love inhaling oysters when I'm travelling. Each oyster has its own story and its own flavours of its location. Auckland-Sydney-New York-Marseille - they all have their own tale to tell. Emilie Pullar: I think we have established I love chocolate? I am hanging out to try the latest Whittaker's banana caramel block. The pitch Heart of the City Auckland Restaurant Month is in its 15th year with more than 100 set-price menus ($30, $45 and $55+) and 20-plus special events including collaborations, masterclasses and international guests. Sell us your offering. Matty Opai: Icebergs in Sydney is notorious for translating seasonal, local produce into our signature Italo-Australian menu and Mediterranean-inspired beverage programme. We're stoked to have access to the quality and unique produce of Aotearoa, and to be bringing our signature style to the epic waterside setting of Soul Bar. Edmundo Farrera: We are flavour, spice and great ambience. Feast with Tacoteca – come along to get your hands into the masa over cocktails and Latin vibes. Join us to learn the craft of Mexican cooking and make the food we love to eat together. (For the aspiring little chefs, we're also doing a family-friendly Masa Class full of culinary fun and tacos). Emilie Pullar: Myself, Sean Connolly and executive chef James Laird have designed a pasta-focused menu with seasonal sides and iconic Esther snacks to start. A beautiful custom-made ravioli mould will wow guests, followed by sharing-style pasta dishes including my famous slow-cooked pork and fennel ragu. Good food and good wine, plus a chance to roll some pasta if you would like to learn. Sean Connolly: Honestly, when we are collaborating with another cook, we are a vehicle for them. We have created a platform for Emilie Pullar – an exceptional talent and wealth of knowledge – to showcase her passion for pasta. Gareth Stewart: At Advieh, we have a very generous offering for both lunch and dinner. For lunch, you can have two courses with bread for $55 or three courses for $65 – light dishes, perfect for a quick lunch away from your desk. For dinner, our banquet menu allows you to try multiple dishes designed for sharing, including our puy lentil hummus with fried sujuk, whipped tahini and nigella seeds or our duck leg shish, smoky ketchup, beets and sheep's curd. For the main course, you have to try our Fish Doctor Stew – market fish, cockles, winter greens, preserved lemon. Auckland Restaurant Month runs August 1-31. Book at Full programme at Kim Knight joined the New Zealand Herald in 2016 and is a senior journalist on the lifestyle desk.
17-07-2025
- Business
Mitsui Fudosan to Open Hub for Chip Biz in Tokyo
News from Japan Economy Technology Jul 17, 2025 15:43 (JST) Tokyo, July 17 (Jiji Press)--Japanese real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan Co. will launch a facility in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district in October to promote people's interchanges in order to strengthen the country's competitiveness in the semiconductor sector, officials have said. On Wednesday, the company said that it has established an organization, called Rise-A, for operation of the facility. Rise-A is headed by Nagoya University professor Hiroshi Amano, who developed blue light-emitting diodes and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014. "We'll provide a place where people from various fields can gather and hold discussions," Amano said at a press conference the same day. "The situation of power semiconductors (used for electric vehicles and others) is difficult to understand," he also said. "We can offer users important information by sharing latest developments." [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Today
09-07-2025
- Japan Today
Pressed to confess: Japan accused of 'hostage justice'
Tomoya Asanuma endured almost four months of detention for charges including assault that he was ultimately acquitted of. By Tomohiro OSAKI Yo Amano says he is unraveling in a cell where he has been confined alone almost 24 hours a day for over six years, despite not having been convicted of the fraud charges against him. In Japan's harsh criminal justice system, critics say innocence is not presumed and coerced confessions help drive the 99 percent conviction rate. "From the moment I was arrested, I've been treated like I'm a prisoner," Amano, 36, told AFP through a glass screen at the Tokyo Detention Centre, where he is held alongside people convicted of violent crimes, including death-row inmates. "I'm sure something is wrong with me mentally, but I can't tell for sure because I can't even get a decent medical diagnosis here," he said. Campaigners argue that lengthy pre-trial detention is meted out too easily in Japan, especially if suspects remain silent or refuse to confess. That often makes confessions a de-facto condition for their release, one that rights groups say exists in few other liberal democracies. This alleged use of confinement as a way to elicit confessions -- or "hostage justice" -- is under renewed scrutiny after a group of victims recently filed a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. Lawyer Takashi Takano, who spearheads the suit, slammed the "completely inverted chronology". In Japan, "if you contest your charges, your bail is denied and detention drags on. You get punished and robbed of everything first, sometimes before the trial even begins, followed finally by a verdict," he told AFP. AFP obtained rare, court-issued approval to speak to Amano, who denies the charges against him. Since his 2018 arrest, he has been locked up incommunicado, having "lost everything", including his job, partner and mental health. In summer, what little coolness there is in the detention facility filters through a small food slot into Amano's sweltering cell. Three tatami mats fill the floor space, and there is no air conditioning. For most of the day, Amano is not allowed to lie down or lean against a wall, so he spends hours sitting on a mat. The former restaurant owner says he has lost 30 kilograms since his arrest. He can only contact his lawyers and is denied access to anyone else, including family, barring rare exceptions. This has left him estranged from the "daughter I doted on", now seven years old, and whom he last saw in 2019. "I don't know if she still remembers me." 'Extracting confessions' "Hostage justice" -- a term popularised by ex-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn's months-long, 2018-2019 detention -- has been repeatedly decried by international rights bodies. The latest lawsuit challenges judges' ability to "rubber-stamp" detentions, and to reject bail without demonstrating "probable cause" that evidence will be destroyed, according to lawyer Takano. In Japan, pre-indictment detention can last up to 23 days, extendable by multiple rearrests. Only after indictment does bail become possible, but as with Amano, the option is often dismissed if the accused denies the charges, campaigners say. Judicial data from 2021 shows that those who confessed were released much more quickly than those who denied the charges. "In Japan, refusing to confess or remaining silent is seen as high-risk behavior of someone likely to destroy evidence," Kana Sasakura, a criminal law professor at Konan University, told AFP. Furthermore, detainees are typically interrogated without attorneys -- a stark contrast to most Group of Seven and East Asian democracies -- which makes it harder to withstand the pressure of questioning. This, coupled with grueling confinement, attests to Japan's overall reliance on confessions, Sasakura noted. "It's a structure where, by conducting interrogations behind closed doors and isolating the suspect from the outside world, extracting confessions is made easier," she said. 'Fair' system The justice ministry told AFP that "prolonged detention solely on the grounds of remaining silent or denying charges isn't occurring". "We don't use physical detention to force confessions," it added, defending Japan's "fair" and "evidence-based" system. But Tomoya Asanuma, another plaintiff in the suit, recalls almost cracking under the strain. Last year, the 36-year-old transgender activist endured almost four months of detention for charges including assault that he was ultimately acquitted of in January. "Detectives would tell me, 'Confess and we don't have to interrogate you so many times,'" Asanuma told AFP of the frequent, hours-long questioning. Life under constant surveillance, including when he bathed or relieved himself, was a source of extra humiliation as his body still retained biologically female characteristics. "The thought repeatedly crossed my mind that if I falsely confessed, I can maybe escape all this," he said. 'Won't betray their trust' And therein lies the secret to Japan's astonishing 99-percent conviction rate, lawyer Takano argues. "After such endless interrogations, most people break and confess," leading to statements adopted by courts as evidence, he said. A case in point is Iwao Hakamada, who was once the world's longest-serving death-row inmate. His convictions -- quashed last year -- relied partly on confessions made during what the Supreme Court ruled were "inhumane" interrogations. "That's what undergirds the '99-percent' conviction rate. But do you really trust such guilty verdicts?" Takano said. In his cell with an exposed toilet, Amano languishes with little sense of the time or weather outside. The light remains on after bedtime, but he is not allowed to cover his face with bedding. But still he will not confess. "If I succumb now and choose an easy way out, I would disappoint people who still support me," he said. "I won't betray their trust." © 2025 AFP
New Straits Times
07-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Pressed to confess: Japan accused of 'hostage justice'
YO Amano says he is unravelling in a cell where he has been confined alone almost 24 hours a day for over six years, despite not having been convicted of the fraud charges against him. In Japan's harsh criminal justice system, critics say innocence is not presumed and coerced confessions help drive the 99 per cent conviction rate. "From the moment I was arrested, I've been treated like I'm a prisoner," Amano, 36, told AFP through a glass screen at the Tokyo Detention Centre, where he is held alongside people convicted of violent crimes, including death-row inmates. "I'm sure something is wrong with me mentally, but I can't tell for sure because I can't even get a decent medical diagnosis here," he said. Campaigners argue that lengthy pre-trial detention is meted out too easily in Japan, especially if suspects remain silent or refuse to confess. That often makes confessions a de-facto condition for their release, one that rights groups say exists in few other liberal democracies. This alleged use of confinement as a way to elicit confessions – or "hostage justice" – is under renewed scrutiny after a group of victims recently filed a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. Lawyer Takashi Takano, who spearheads the suit, slammed the "completely inverted chronology." In Japan, "if you contest your charges, your bail is denied and detention drags on. You get punished and robbed of everything first, sometimes before the trial even begins, followed finally by a verdict," he told AFP. AFP obtained rare, court-issued approval to speak to Amano, who denies the charges against him. Since his 2018 arrest, he has been locked up incommunicado, having "lost everything", including his job, partner and mental health. In summer, what little coolness there is in the detention facility filters through a small food slot into Amano's sweltering cell. Three tatami mats fill the floor space, and there is no air conditioning. For most of the day, Amano is not allowed to lie down or lean against a wall, so he spends hours sitting on a mat. The former restaurant owner says he has lost 30 kilogrammes (66 pounds) since his arrest. He can only contact his lawyers and is denied access to anyone else, including family, barring rare exceptions. This has left him estranged from the "daughter I doted on", now seven years old, and whom he last saw in 2019. "I don't know if she still remembers me." "Hostage justice" – a term popularised by ex-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn's months-long, 2018-2019 detention – has been repeatedly decried by international rights bodies. The latest lawsuit challenges judges' ability to "rubber-stamp" detentions, and to reject bail without demonstrating "probable cause" that evidence will be destroyed, according to lawyer Takano. In Japan, pre-indictment detention can last up to 23 days, extendable by multiple rearrests. Only after indictment does bail become possible, but as with Amano, the option is often dismissed if the accused denies the charges, campaigners say. Judicial data from 2021 shows that those who confessed were released much more quickly than those who denied the charges. "In Japan, refusing to confess or remaining silent is seen as high-risk behaviour of someone likely to destroy evidence," Kana Sasakura, a criminal law professor at Konan University, told AFP. Furthermore, detainees are typically interrogated without attorneys – a stark contrast to most Group of Seven and East Asian democracies – which makes it harder to withstand the pressure of questioning. This, coupled with gruelling confinement, attests to Japan's overall reliance on confessions, Sasakura noted. "It's a structure where, by conducting interrogations behind closed doors and isolating the suspect from the outside world, extracting confessions is made easier," she said. The justice ministry told AFP that "prolonged detention solely on the grounds of remaining silent or denying charges isn't occurring." "We don't use physical detention to force confessions," it added, defending Japan's "fair" and "evidence-based" system. But Tomoya Asanuma, another plaintiff in the suit, recalls almost cracking under the strain. Last year, the 36-year-old transgender activist endured almost four months of detention for charges including assault that he was ultimately acquitted of in January. "Detectives would tell me, 'confess already, and we don't have to interrogate you so many times,'" Asanuma told AFP of the frequent, hours-long questioning. Life under constant surveillance, including when he bathed or relieved himself, was a source of extra humiliation as his body still retained biologically female characteristics. "The thought repeatedly crossed my mind that if I falsely confessed, I can maybe escape all this," he said. And therein lies the secret to Japan's astonishing 99-per cent conviction rate, lawyer Takano argues. "After such endless interrogations, most people break and confess," leading to statements adopted by courts as evidence, he said. A case in point is Iwao Hakamada, who was once the world's longest-serving death-row inmate. His convictions – quashed last year – relied partly on confessions made during what the Supreme Court ruled were "inhumane" interrogations. "That's what undergirds the '99-per cent' conviction rate. But do you really trust such guilty verdicts?" Takano said. In his cell with an exposed toilet, Amano languishes with little sense of the time or weather outside. The light remains on after bedtime, but he is not allowed to cover his face with bedding. But still he will not confess. "If I succumb now and choose an easy way out, I would disappoint people who still support me," he said. "I won't betray their trust."
France 24
07-07-2025
- France 24
Pressed to confess: Japan accused of 'hostage justice'
In Japan's harsh criminal justice system, critics say innocence is not presumed and coerced confessions help drive the 99 percent conviction rate. "From the moment I was arrested, I've been treated like I'm a prisoner," Amano, 36, told AFP through a glass screen at the Tokyo Detention Centre, where he is held alongside people convicted of violent crimes, including death-row inmates. "I'm sure something is wrong with me mentally, but I can't tell for sure because I can't even get a decent medical diagnosis here," he said. Campaigners argue that lengthy pre-trial detention is meted out too easily in Japan, especially if suspects remain silent or refuse to confess. That often makes confessions a de-facto condition for their release, one that rights groups say exists in few other liberal democracies. This alleged use of confinement as a way to elicit confessions -- or "hostage justice" -- is under renewed scrutiny after a group of victims recently filed a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. Lawyer Takashi Takano, who spearheads the suit, slammed the "completely inverted chronology". In Japan, "if you contest your charges, your bail is denied and detention drags on. You get punished and robbed of everything first, sometimes before the trial even begins, followed finally by a verdict," he told AFP. AFP obtained rare, court-issued approval to speak to Amano, who denies the charges against him. Since his 2018 arrest, he has been locked up incommunicado, having "lost everything", including his job, partner and mental health. In summer, what little coolness there is in the detention facility filters through a small food slot into Amano's sweltering cell. Three tatami mats fill the floor space, and there is no air conditioning. For most of the day, Amano is not allowed to lie down or lean against a wall, so he spends hours sitting on a mat. The former restaurant owner says he has lost 30 kilogrammes (66 pounds) since his arrest. This has left him estranged from the "daughter I doted on", now seven years old, and whom he last saw in 2019. "I don't know if she still remembers me." 'Extracting confessions' "Hostage justice" -- a term popularised by ex-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn's months-long, 2018-2019 detention -- has been repeatedly decried by international rights bodies. The latest lawsuit challenges judges' ability to "rubber-stamp" detentions, and to reject bail without demonstrating "probable cause" that evidence will be destroyed, according to lawyer Takano. In Japan, pre-indictment detention can last up to 23 days, extendable by multiple rearrests. Only after indictment does bail become possible, but as with Amano, the option is often dismissed if the accused denies the charges, campaigners say. Judicial data from 2021 shows that those who confessed were released much more quickly than those who denied the charges. "In Japan, refusing to confess or remaining silent is seen as high-risk behaviour of someone likely to destroy evidence," Kana Sasakura, a criminal law professor at Konan University, told AFP. Furthermore, detainees are typically interrogated without attorneys -- a stark contrast to most Group of Seven and East Asian democracies -- which makes it harder to withstand the pressure of questioning. This, coupled with gruelling confinement, attests to Japan's overall reliance on confessions, Sasakura noted. "It's a structure where, by conducting interrogations behind closed doors and isolating the suspect from the outside world, extracting confessions is made easier," she said. 'Fair' system The justice ministry told AFP that "prolonged detention solely on the grounds of remaining silent or denying charges isn't occurring". "We don't use physical detention to force confessions," it added, defending Japan's "fair" and "evidence-based" system. But Tomoya Asanuma, another plaintiff in the suit, recalls almost cracking under the strain. Last year, the 36-year-old transgender activist endured almost four months of detention for charges including assault that he was ultimately acquitted of in January. "Detectives would tell me, 'confess already, and we don't have to interrogate you so many times,'" Asanuma told AFP of the frequent, hours-long questioning. "The thought repeatedly crossed my mind that if I falsely confessed, I can maybe escape all this," he said. 'Won't betray their trust' And therein lies the secret to Japan's astonishing 99-percent conviction rate, lawyer Takano argues. "After such endless interrogations, most people break and confess," leading to statements adopted by courts as evidence, he said. A case in point is Iwao Hakamada, who was once the world's longest-serving death-row inmate. His convictions -- quashed last year -- relied partly on confessions made during what the Supreme Court ruled were "inhumane" interrogations. "That's what undergirds the '99-percent' conviction rate. But do you really trust such guilty verdicts?" Takano said. In his cell with an exposed toilet, Amano languishes with little sense of the time or weather outside. The light remains on after bedtime, but he is not allowed to cover his face with bedding. But still he will not confess. "If I succumb now and choose an easy way out, I would disappoint people who still support me," he said. "I won't betray their trust." © 2025 AFP
