▁he ▁was ▁not ▁at ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁the ▁crime . ▁M enda ▁was ▁released ▁after ▁ 3 4 ▁years ▁on ▁death ▁row ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 5 4 . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁person ▁in ▁Japan ’ s ▁history ▁to ▁be ▁released ▁from ▁death ▁row . ▁ ▁Life ▁after ▁release ▁ ▁The ▁government ▁gave ▁M enda ▁ 7 0 0 0 ▁y en ▁for ▁every ▁day ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁prison : ▁ 9 0 ▁million ▁y en ▁in ▁total ▁( appro xim ately ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁US D ▁$ 9 9 0 , 5 4 0 ). ▁He ▁don ated ▁half ▁of ▁that ▁to ▁a ▁group ▁campaign ing ▁to ▁abol ish ▁the ▁death ▁penalty . ▁M enda ▁has ▁since ▁become ▁a ▁death - pen alty ▁abol ition ist . ▁Japan ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Group ▁of ▁Seven ▁industrial ised ▁nations ▁other ▁than ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁retain ▁capital ▁pun ishment . ▁M enda ▁spoke ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁World ▁Congress ▁against ▁the ▁death ▁penalty , ▁and ▁has ▁lo bb ied ▁deleg ates ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁to ▁glob ally ▁abol ish ▁capital ▁pun ishment , ▁describing ▁the ▁psych ological ▁and ▁de human ising ▁effects ▁that ▁he ▁encountered ▁while ▁on ▁death ▁row . ▁The ▁sc andal ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁M enda ' s ▁release ▁prompt ed ▁reform ▁and ▁a ided ▁a ▁re int roduction ▁of ▁j ury ▁tri als ▁in ▁Japan , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁showing ▁the ▁Japanese ▁legal ▁system ' s ▁over -