What's Life Like Inside A Japanese Prison? | Witness | HD Japan Jail Crime Documentary

We gained unprecedented filming access to two Japanese prisons to find out if accusations that the system is inhumane are true.

What we witnessed was staggering. Inmates must march to their worksites attached by a cord; they are not allowed to look the guards in the eye; outside of scheduled leisure hours, they must maintain absolute silence, unless they have obtained prior permission to speak.

The treatment of suspects in custody pushes many to confess to crimes which they did not commit, as was the case with one man who spent 46 years on death row. He was finally exonerated six years ago, but was left broken.

We try to explain why a country which operates on strict principles of balance and order might choose such a repressive system, and see if this may explain Japan having one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

This documentary was produced by Nova Prod and directed by Marie Linton. It was first released in 2020.

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[MrGreen-cimm]

Do you guys know how hard it is to film inside a Japanese prison ? the fact that this exists is extraordinary.

[psyclne]

I never ever want to spend even a night in there. This is exactly how prison should be.
But forcing innocent people to confess at all costs, is outrageous. Everyone deserves a fair trial.

[Charleshudspeth]

Wow. The woman that takes care of the man that was on Death Row wrongly for over 40 years is a saint in my eyes. She doesn't have to do any of that. But as she said she wants him to feel human warmth. What a beautiful kind soul she is.

[mzimkhulujita]

"prison's cool if you're outside" 😭😭😭😭 real statement

[danstvguy]

In California these prisoners would be model citizens.

[SpicyTurkey]

Japanese discipline culture is truly remarkable. I had a Japanese roommate in college, and every day, no matter what time, his room was IMPECCABLE. Even on the weekends, he would awake at 5 AM, on the sharp. I NEVER had an opportunity to do the dishes because he would always beat me to it. It was almost eerie, and I even joked about him potentially being a serial killer. He ended up graduating with a 4.0 in biomedical engineering, but the most memorable moment with his was when I finally got him drunk. Even tipsy, he maintained the most respectful manners you could imagine. They are truly a different species of people

[FieldMarshall]

A big problem with the Japanese justice system is that you are basically assumed to be guilty if you are arrested. That the police would falsely arrest someone is unheard of to them. That's part of why they work so hard on forcing confessions. The conviction rate is almost 100% for a reason.

[Frostafarian]

"Through work, inmates learn to socialize"

30 seconds later

"Prisoners are not allowed to talk to each other during working hours"

[comicjohnladams]

I cannot imagine the guilt and grief the mother who lost her daughter must feel daily.

[shresh]

I almost teared up at the last part, considering the declining birth rates in Japan and given the fact these old people are deliberately committing crimes to receive care in their old age, they probably don't even have children or grand children to take care of them.

[JoshJos-Shwa]

The actual prison seems extremely well kept. Although strict, it gives you a purpose as a prisoner to have a job immediately. It also doesn't seem like people are getting shanked or assaulted like they do in the US.

[pikanoob]

why so much focus on Carlos Ghosn? dude is guilty as hell and like 4 countries have arrest warrants for him

[menoyuno]

Being innocent and thrown into prison is horrifying. Doesn’t matter the country, that’s the one thing everyone should agree must be prevented.

[bakerkawesa]

The prison system is alright. But the judicial process is flawed. Forcing and relying almost entirely on confessions leads to an unnatural 100% conviction rate. I don't think there's much justice in that.

[JorgeChavez-duvm]

Imagine being imprisoned for eight years just to be told you're innocent but you don't get released.

[thorstmixx]

You can say whatever you want about the living conditions in their prisons. But NOTHING, and I mean absolutely NOTHING will ever justify torturing false confessions out of people to meet a quota. That is fucking disgusting.

[melaniejones]

I worked in Japan for years. I once left my wallet on a park bench as I was going to work.
10 hours later, I was returning home and my wallet was still on the bench with all money inside.
A very safe country 😊

[khonichakre]

The cleanliness and order of the jail is impressive

[Zargabaath]

"They learn to socialize by being forced to work"

*Not allowed to talk*

[panpani]

"only two prisoners will answer our questions in presence of the guards"
I'm truly afraid of what they're hiding. What would they admit without the guards?