▁ple ading ▁innoc ent . ▁On ▁March ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁Judge ▁Har uo ▁K inos h ita ▁sent enced ▁him ▁to ▁death . ▁The ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁Japan ▁u ph eld ▁his ▁sentence ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁A ▁lawyer ▁only ▁came ▁to ▁see ▁M enda ▁once ▁before ▁the ▁trial . ▁The ▁lawyer , ▁a ▁Buddh ist ▁mon k , ▁came ▁to ▁pray ▁for ▁him , ▁but ▁offered ▁no ▁professional ▁expert ise ▁to ▁help ▁him ▁fight ▁the ▁charges , ▁but ▁instead ▁told ▁M enda ▁to ▁accept ▁his ▁fate . ▁His ▁trial ▁did ▁not ▁include ▁any ▁physical ▁evidence ▁or ▁the ▁witness ▁accounts ▁that ▁proved ▁M enda ▁had ▁an ▁al ib i . ▁He ▁was ▁wrong ly ▁conv icted ▁of ▁murder ▁and ▁rob ber y ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁ext orted ▁conf ession . ▁ ▁In car cer ation ▁M enda ▁was ▁in car cer ated ▁at ▁the ▁Fu ku oka ▁Det ention ▁Center ▁in ▁solit ary ▁conf in ement . ▁He ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁a ▁ 5 ▁square ▁meter ▁un he ated ▁cell ▁that ▁was ▁lit ▁day ▁and ▁night ▁and ▁monitor ed ▁constantly . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁Japanese ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁pen al ▁code , ▁death ▁row ▁in m ates , ▁unless ▁they ▁are ▁involved ▁in ▁legal ▁appe als , ▁could ▁be ▁taken ▁away ▁for ▁execution ▁at ▁prison ▁gall ows ▁at ▁any ▁time , ▁with ▁little ▁notice . ▁Exec utions ▁in ▁Japan ▁are ▁typically ▁held ▁in ▁secret , ▁and