The first oral argument hearing was held on June 29, 2026, at 11:00 AM in Courtroom 103 of the Tokyo District Court.

The plaintiffs submitted their complaint and presented evidence as described in Exhibit Statement (1) .

The defendant has submitted a written response . However, this response lacks substance, and a substantive response is due by September 15th.

Furthermore, the defendant pointed out some discrepancies regarding a portion of Exhibit C20, and the plaintiff will examine it and take appropriate action.

Following this, statements were made by the plaintiff's wife and eldest son , and then the plaintiff's attorney, Takano, presented his arguments in the complaint.

The court asked the defendant to clarify the thought process behind the concealment of evidence in each individual case, including whether there are general standards to follow when interpreting the requirements for physical restraint, or whether it is at the judge's discretion, in preparation for the substantive defense.

Finally, the next deadline was set for October 30th at 11:00 AM, and the deadline has now passed.

The plaintiff's second son is scheduled to give his statement at the next hearing.

Please come again on the next date.

Thanks to your generous support, we have successfully reached our fundraising goal. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has contributed.

Nearly 420 people have donated to this campaign, and more than 270 supporters have shared encouraging messages with us. Thank you so much for your kindness and support.

The first court hearing is scheduled for 29 June 2026, during which the plaintiffs are expected to present arguments based on the complaint.

The funds raised so far are being used to support robust litigation activities, including obtaining expert opinions and reports from specialists.

As the case proceeds, we plan to request investigations and analyses from specialist institutions both in Japan and overseas. We are also considering collaborating with international experts to strengthen the evidence and expert knowledge supporting our claims. These efforts will require additional resources.

Therefore, we have decided to set a new third fundraising goal of JPY 5 million. We sincerely hope for your continued support as we move forward with this important case.

First Hearing Scheduled

The first oral hearing will be held on Monday, 29 June 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in Courtroom 103 of the Tokyo District Court.

A post-hearing briefing session is also planned at the B1 Hall of Hibiya Library & Museum following the court proceedings. We would be delighted if you could attend the hearing and join us afterwards. For further details, please see our previous update.

[Okawara Chemical Machinery Case] The first oral argument hearing in the lawsuit questioning the judge's responsibility will be held on Monday, June 29th at 11:00 AM in Courtroom 103 of the Tokyo District Court.

Shizuo Aijima, who was unjustly arrested and detained in the Okawara Chemical Machinery case, was deprived of his freedom for approximately 11 months and died of cancer without ever being granted bail. Although the illegality of the investigative authorities was later recognized, the judges were ultimately responsible for issuing the arrest and detention warrants and for failing to grant bail.
This lawsuit, filed by the family of Mr. Aijima, aims to restore the rule of law to Japan's criminal justice system and put an end to "hostage justice" by questioning the illegality of the decisions made by the 37 judges involved.

At the first oral argument hearing, the three plaintiffs will present their statements in court, and Attorney Takashi Takano, the head of the legal team, will deliver his arguments. We encourage you to come and observe the proceedings.

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 [Okawara Chemical Machinery Case] Lawsuit to question the judge's responsibility - First oral argument 
☑︎Date and time: Monday, June 29, 2026, 11:00 AM
☑︎Location: Tokyo District Court, Courtroom No. 103 (1 minute walk from Exit A1 of Kasumigaseki Station on the Tokyo Metro)

 *Due to the expected large number of people wishing to attend this hearing, a lottery will be held to determine who will be able to attend. Please pick up your admission ticket at the entrance of the district court approximately 30 minutes before the hearing begins and check the lottery results. For further details, please check the court's website .

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 Deadline Reporting Event 
☑︎Date and Time: Monday, June 29, 2026, 12:15 PM - 1:30 PM
☑︎Location: Hibiya Library and Culture Center Convention Hall (approximately 3 minutes on foot from Exit B2 of Kasumigaseki Station on the Tokyo Metro)
☑︎Speakers: Osamu Aoki (journalist), plaintiffs, legal team
☑︎Content: In the first part, we will welcome journalist Osamu Aoki, who has covered the Okawara Chemical Machinery case, as a guest for a talk session in which he will discuss the issue of hostage justice and the significance of this lawsuit with lawyer Taiki Taniguchi of the legal team.
In the second part, the plaintiffs and the head of the legal team, attorney Takashi Takano, will take the stage to share their thoughts behind the statements they will make at this hearing and their outlook for the future of the lawsuit.

☑︎Participation is free, but reservations are prioritized . Please make your reservation using this Google Form (https://t.co/rAlATGUFoQ).

The date for the first session has been set for Monday, June 29, 2026, at 11:00 AM.

Details regarding the date and other information will be announced later.

We also have a debriefing session planned after the deadline, and we will contact you again with details once they are finalized.

We would be delighted if you could participate.

Thanks to your generous support, the lawsuit we filed today has successfully reached its initial crowdfunding goal of JPY 1,000,000. This has enabled us to cover essential costs such as court filing fees exceeding JPY 500,000, as well as transportation expenses related to filing the case. We are truly grateful for your support.

As a second challenge, we have now set a new target of JPY 3,000,000. The additional funds will primarily be used to strengthen our litigation efforts, including obtaining expert opinions and further substantiating our legal arguments.

Through this lawsuit, we aim to shed light on the decision-making process of the judges who continued to impose physical detention on Mr. Shizuo, and to hold those responsible accountable. We are committed to ending Japan’s “Hostage Justice” system and preventing such tragedies from ever happening again. We would be deeply grateful for your continued support.

On April 6, 2026, we filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court.

For an overview of this lawsuit, please refer to the basic information page, as well as the " Notice of Lawsuit Filing " which was published today in conjunction with the filing of the lawsuit.
You can view the full complaint here , and a summary version here .

We will post an update on this page as soon as the court sets the date for the first hearing.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.