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

[Music] Nagano in the heart of the Japanese mountains after months of negotiations we have been given permission to film inside the prison [Applause] hello [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] the prison house is 900 inmates all men ranging from common offenders to murderers the management has established some terms we are not allowed to film the doors or question the guards in front of the inmates and above all we are not allowed to address the prisoners at the end of filming only two of them will be able to answer our questions in the presence of the guards over the course of two days we will discover the Japanese prison world from a western perspective it is a disciplinary hell [Music] thank you foreign struck by the silence by the impeccable order even the sandals are lined up in front of the cells [Applause] in the morning the prisoners are woken up by the guard shouts but also by classical music [Music] oh [Music] in some cells six men [Music] others are individual cells reserved for the best behaved prisoners here there is no prison overcrowding like in European countries and no unsanitary conditions either the building is modern and perfectly clean but the prisoners lives have regulated precisely to the millimeter every move is timed [Music] they have exactly one hour to eat breakfast brush their teeth and shave everyone at the same time and then the entire cell has to be cleaned thoroughly [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] everything has to be put in exactly the right place the guards check that everything is in order [Music] [Music] if business break and Rule they receive a warning if they persist they are punished [Music] um [Music] like this is the punishment can last between 1 and 60 days in solitary confinement with no activities no television no reading for the prison staff this is not bullying it's just a Japanese view of order where everything is organized according to the group not the individual a world apart it is this prison regime that Carlos gone would have faced if convicted and that he wanted to escape at all costs [Music] how does such a particular judicial system work though simply strict in the eyes of the Japanese to foreigners who were arrested it may seem inhumane often rely on confessions which can lead to miscarriages of Justice is this love of order is rooted in the country's culture where discipline and rules are Paramount you know nobody ever talks it's like no you don't because they're not talking standards reinforced by the people who go as far as celebrating their prison system yeah yeah why would you create a fiesta in the prison it's a prison Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world the number of prisoners is proportionally four times lower than in France today the prisons are emptying out and the prison population is aging this system is sometimes incomprehensible to westerners but the Japanese did not tolerate Carlos Gunn's refusal to abide by it this is an investigation Into the Heart of a machine that though effective can break lives [Music] [Applause] on the 8th of January the eyes of the world are turned to the Lebanese Capital Beirut after 14 months in prison and then under house arrest Carlos gon is about to give a press conference following his impressive escape from Japan there's a lot of excitement all the media are invited except the Japanese who stay at the door [Music] students ladies and gentlemen inside the Press Union Carlos goon makes his entrance under flashes he's the boss and he wants to show it he organizes the order of questions himself [Music] today he intends to tell the truth in November 2018 he was arrested in Tokyo for concealing income and embezzlement we're talking in the tens of millions of euros Carlos gone answers Point by point but his favorite defense is to attack the Japanese justice system I did not Escape Justice I fled Injustice and persecution political persecution having endured more than 400 Days of inhuman treatment in a system designed to break me and unwilling to provide me even minimal Justice I was left with no other choice but to protect myself and my family in the front row his wife Carol is loving it she too attacks the country that locked him up yesterday a few days later we traveled 10 000 kilometers to Japan the land of Mount Fuji at the ministry of Justice in Tokyo another press conferences held much more confidential there are a few cameras and a lot of computers but no foreign TV the minister of this Democratic country makes no secret of her anger towards the world's most notorious Fugitive [Music] um foreign [Applause] defends its system which is certainly severe but which bears fruit its Goal Zero crime and zero tolerance order and discipline we'll discover this when we go back to the Nagano prison [Music] the prisoners day is planned down to the minute [Music] at 7 50 a.m the inmates leave for work shaped heads in uniform they March instep daddy daddy then they have to give their numbers work is compulsory for everyone but unpaid it is an integral part of a prisoner's sentence foreign before starting work they do a workout for three minutes [Music] yes the entire life in the prison is organized around several factories of 50 inmates each [Applause] cushions and shoes are made there to go on to be sold prisoners will receive a small allowance on their release according to the management work is necessary for rehabilitation um [Applause] [Music] the prisoners are not allowed to talk to each other during working hours again this would be an inconceivable rule elsewhere in order to be allowed to say a few words to each other they must ask permission by raising their hands [Music] hi at Meal Time the guard carefully checks the portions they must be exactly the same foreign [Music] [Applause] except for the rice where the amount depends on the activity carried out [Music] right after lunch the inmates are given a short break they can read the newspaper or cut their nails they can even talk then comes the best part of their day Leisure Time prisoners have time reserved for entertainment every day except weekends again they go there Marching In Step the guard walks backwards to keep a close eye on the line [Music] if [Music] loaded [Music] [Applause] inmates have precisely 40 minutes to relax but first they have to warm up just like at work [Music] then they hurry to make the most of it and play ping pong [Applause] or board games there is even a little TV for karaoke [Music] [Applause] the break is soon over it's time to go back to work which lasts eight hours a day [Music] it's time for us to interview a prisoner a 27 year old man is brought to us the interview takes place in an office in the presence of two Wardens he was sentenced to three years in prison for theft he has a year and a half to go despite the presence of the guards he dares to speak out um [Music] is [Music] in the evening inmates are encouraged to study at 7 pm sharp the TV turns on [Music] they can watch it until 9 pm then lights out penis have been used to discipline since childhood but for foreign inmates it's hard to take [Music] another Frenchman has a traumatic experience in the Japanese prison system he has inside experience of the way inmates are treated Mark carpales is 35 years old he has a mild form of Asperger's Syndrome he's also a computer genius he was locked up for 11 months but he decided to stay in Japan after his release a good meal the pleasure he forgot while he was incarcerated foreign his case is a huge scandal in Japan it starts in 2014. Mark copulus made his fortune in Bitcoin cryptocurrency but when his company goes bankrupt he has to apologize publicly to an audience of journalists [Music] soon it has discovered that millions of Euros have disappeared and he is accused of stealing the money the nightmare begins [Music] thank you Japanese spends four months in custody then he is transferred to kosage prison where Carlos gone was locked up proof that the prisoners were being treated well the authorities opened their doors to journalists last year there too everything is clean and tidy but according to Mark copulus it's not the decor that drives you crazy it's the rules in kosagay the prisoners are awaiting trial they don't work and they're in solitary confinement foreign foreign the Comedia it's an empty padded cell where he spends four hours tied up then he is punished for four days no more books or writing materials finally after nearly a year Behind Bars he has tried declared innocent of embezzlement and released [Music] charge officially he remains a guilty man [Music] thank you these conditions of detention do not seem to bother the Japanese on the contrary the prison Administration is proud of its prisons it even promotes the most severe of them the famous kosuke prison with its impressive x-shaped architecture the building is colossal it's the last place you think of going for fun [Music] thank you [Applause] and yet once a year the authorities organize a huge Festival there the public space surrounding it there are 10 000 people celebrating just a few meters from the cells on stage a Japanese pop star [Music] all day long one show follows another then visitors head to the stands set up for the occasion here people can have their picture taken with a prison guard's Camp either today [Music] [Laughter] yeah yeah on stage law enforcement officers are showing how effectively they stop the bad guys [Music] but the highlight of the festival is when visitors taste the dish typically served to Japanese prisoners Curry and rice people have to wait an hour to receive their tray but for three Euros it's worth it foreign no doubt that prisoners are treated well [Music] get to the moon welfare prisoners efficient police officers and friendly guards the festival presents an ideal prison system only one person is shocked by this PR exercise we asked Thomas savicus to come with us this Lithuanian Man spent six months inside the prison for attempting to kidnap his own daughter in Japan in divorce cases foreign parents are systematically deprived of their children why would you create a fiesta in the prison it's a prison what kind of brainwashing is actually happening in here is just mind-boggling you see you see around you know little children be enjoying the day out it's it's like a park does it look like a park you know the any kind of human right violations is happening right there he's not fooled he knows this prison [Music] oh he's way way better is is almost restaurant great Curry and believe me in there they do not give you this kind of Courage the public are not here to worry about the fate of the prisoners at the following stands products made from prisoners from all over Japan are sold leather goods furniture and in particular comfortable and slightly retro shoes again Thomas can't believe it is foreign how outraged Thomas is the party goes on a concert by female students in suits free candy floss for the children yeah the prison system is not about to change but there is another aspect of the treatment of detainees that is criticized by lawyers and many ngos the policy of confessions in Japan it is called hostage Justice if the accused deny the accusation their custody can be extended indefinitely they are questioned intensely until they confess this is what happened to businessman Carlos gone he was arrested on the 19th of November 2018 just after landing at Tokyo Airport in this footage which has traveled around the world a team of prosecutors are conducting a search for his private jet out of sight Carlos Gunn does not reappear until two months later during a court appearance for a bail application television cameras are not allowed to film it stern-looking president denies his request after 108 days of detention he is finally released for the first time here he is coming out of prison hidden under a mask disguised as a worker on the advice of his lawyer to fool journalists is an attempt that deceives no one the Press follows him as he plans to hold a major press conference on the 11th of April 2019 he learns that he will be arrested again on new charges this is the method of prosecutors split up the charges to allow the period of custody to be extended sometimes for months so Carlos Gohan records a video the first Message is I'm innocent and I spent 108 days in prison because I've been always consistent with this position that I was innocent of all the charges the next day it's back to prison for another 22 days a system of going back and forth into tension the sole purpose of breaking the accused foreign [Music] this obsession with confessions can destroy lives this is the story of Keiko Aoki every week she comes to put flowers where she lost a child in a house fire Keiko managed to save her son from the fire but not her daughter who was 11 years old Mario tonight Keiko spent 21 years in prison she came out at the age of 51. along with her partner she was accused of causing the fire to kill her daughter and collect the insurance money foreign right after the fire the police refused to believe it was an accident for them the cause is undoubtedly criminal they look for a culprit at all costs and start harassing Keiko her daughter has just died and she has to undergo interrogation is to the police it's a confession it's based on this that Keiko will be convicted but in prison she decides to fight with the help of lawyers and human rights associations she gets an appeal a miracle in Japan miscarriages of Justice are rarely recognized foreign I don't know the state recognized their mistake and compensated Keiko Aoki 750 000 Euros for a ruined life Keiko is no exception she's not just a victim of the zealous police officer it's an entire justice system based on confessions is confirmed by Hiroshi ichikawa a former prosecutor who was taught how to extract confessions foreign [Music] if suspects break down they are beyond all hope here about 90 of convictions are based on confessions considered the ultimate proof in Japan despite the risk of miscarriages of Justice a risk that is all the more serious due to the fact that Japan is one of the few democracies still carrying out the death penalty One Man by himself embodies all the Injustice of the system aged 84 iwao hakamada spent half of his life on death row for murders he did not commit since its release in 2014 he has been walking every day for three to four hours he's a local celebrity [Music] he is accompanied by mashiko a woman who has taken a liking to him he came out of the prison a broken man after Decades of solitary confinement he doesn't say a word totally shut off from the rest of the world [Applause] foreign accompanies him home she's trying to make his old age easier for him [Laughter] I do it is has been living with his sister since his release she has kept some happy Souvenirs of her brother from when he was a professional boxer buddy and then the heartbreaking letters he sent from prison my name is but his trial goes badly forced to confess burdened by fabricated police evidence he is sentenced to death he holds out but then something breaks him foreign he is finally released after 48 years in prison when DNA tests prove his innocence we met a man who knows better than anyone else the trauma of death row inmates toshio Sakamoto a former prison Warden he has witnessed many executions [Music] but convicts face an additional form of torture they spend an average of seven years on death row and don't know when they will be hanged up [Music] foreign [Music] ERS are led to the Gallows last November an event revives the debate on the death penalty for the first time in 38 years the pope is visiting the Japanese archipelago which is home to 1.5 million Christians akamada is one of the vatican's VIP guests [Applause] he disappears in the midst of an exalted crowd as the pope enters the arena he is photographed next to his sister in the front rows his presence alone is a strong signal against the death penalty the pope slips in a sentence full of innuendo um these words might not be enough to abolish the death penalty eighty percent of Japanese people support executions last year 15 convex were executed more than 100 people are still on death row [Music] how can such a Judicial System be explained it responds to a philosophy rooted in the culture of the country order and Harmony are cardinal virtues that everyone must respect this is what Jake adelstein an American journalist who has been based in Japan for 30 years will show us [Music] it works organically well right when the lights are turning red you don't see you know like people scrambling across anymore everybody kind of does their knows it okay you know time to wait for the next light people very quiet now is there a rule is there a discipline is there a you know is it like China or there's a spy camera watching you and you get points deducted from your social credit because you're speaking on the train no um people just obey the rules because that's what they do here and that's what you're taught from the time you're a child you know There are rules for everything rules make Japanese Society work cigarette smoking except in designated areas is now banned in most parts of the city that's a great thing there is an Unwritten rule that you're not supposed to eat and walk at the same time now that is an enforce that's just how it is also drinking and drinking walking at the same time are forbidden Japan is a country that constantly likes to warn you about things you shouldn't do this one is like you know no playing on the escalators no baby cars on the escalators um you know parents hold the hands of your kids when they're on their escalators um don't wave your hands up and down on the escalators it's on the Metro that these standards internalized by the Japanese are felt the most [Music] excuse me well the other thing is striking is that we're really annoying people because we're talking on the train and nobody ever talks in the train because it's like do you hear that sound like people talking no you don't because they're not talking this is one of the things I like about Japan and even before cell phones nobody was talking everybody's on the train and plays a great deal of emphasis on Harmony and in some ways you know the uh the criminal course expect the accused to harmonize with that system and just go along with it even if they're you know even if they're not guilty um and and when people say like you know no I didn't do it sort of The Audacity Of You to challenge the entire system you know this one individual is almost like well you know you deserve whatever you get because you're a troublemaker [Music] it's a love of order on which the country was built human relations are based on a respect for hierarchy and social norms their neighbors are there to [Music] there till it's 8 P.M in the kabukicho district of Tokyo every two or three days volunteers of a respectable age meet in a former police station the only weapons on this little Patrol are glow sticks and fluorescent vests shopping list uh foreign foreign [Music] policeman like his colleagues he takes his role very seriously foreign but he doesn't intervene when the driver arrives the role is just to inform the police and issue warnings with the bonus of a moral lesson [Music] good morning [Music] an hour and a dozen warnings later the patrol is over groups like this exist in every city in the country is it this way of life that makes crime rates so low in any case crime is decreasing year after year it is increasing in one part of the population the elderly some old Japanese people prefer prison to solitude we're going to the southwest of Japan to Iwakuni famous for its American base foreign [Music] and its women's prison [Music] [Music] okay hi [Music] um Japan is getting older so are the inmates here one in three prisoners is over 65. some of them are 85 years old like the others they work eight hours a day the only difference is that they are given back their walkers when they leave the factory [Music] it is sad to see these old ladies bent over in the cold of the prison [Music] go back up with no heating just two to three showers a week this is far from a luxury retirement home still some prisoners seem relieved to be behind bars this 70 year old woman is on her fourth stint for shoplifting outside like many old Japanese people she was alone and let herself go hi can't help but if she got locked up on purpose the gods have had to adapt to this new population it is a sensitive issue the God we talk to has prepared his response um nothing [Music] um most of these inmates are here for petty theft stealing food shoes or handbags in 20 years crimes committed by senior citizens have increased fourfold in Japan in an attempt to curb the phenomenon the prison has set up a rehabilitation course [Music] the program includes workouts and advice on how to stay in shape and in particular amazing training to learn how to take care of babies the objective is to help these old women find their place in society when they are released and therefore prevent them from reoffending who left Japan's misery in one image in a few years maybe these will be the last prisoners old people alone with no choice [Music] elsewhere prisons are emptying okay [Music] it is difficult for a Westerner to understand this way of life based on order and discipline but the gona fair illustrates something else it's also difficult for the Japanese to understand why a man who has promised to answer for his actions before the law preferred to flee and not respect the rules [Music]

Channel: Witness | History & Crime Documentaries

Views: 5,611,123

Keywords:

Id: F4Z0xCyfKSI

Length: 54min 0sec (3240 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 11 2023