True Crime Japan : Thieves, Rascals, Killers, and Dope Heads: True Stories from a Japanese Courtroom

A middle-aged carpenter beats his 91-year-old mother to death and goes to work the next day--leaving his wife to discover the body. A mobster blames the stress of a police crackdown for his drug habit. A white-collar worker is jailed and disgraced for possessing a joint of marijuana. These people share little in common except that, like 90% of the defendants in Japan, they confess and apologize for their crimes. And like virtually all defendants regardless of how they plea, they are found guilty. The elaborate game between arrest, plea and sentencing is the subject of True Crime Japan. In this fascinating book, journalist and longtime Japan resident Paul Murphy provides a unique look at Japanese society through a year of criminal proceedings in the courts of Matsumoto City.Through interviews with defendants, families, neighbors and lawyers--Murphy explores not just the motives for the crimes but also Japan's unusual criminal justice system. In a shame-based conformist culture where plain speaking is discouraged, courtroom cross-examinationsare unusually blunt and provide deep insights into a society where private lives are rarely ever revealed.