A recorded interrogation was admitted and used as evidence for the first time in a Japanese court on Friday as prosecutors aimed to demonstrate the credibility of a man's admissions during police questioning.

Toshitaka Yamamoto, 55, is accused of planning a murder-for-insurance scheme with Makoto Yoshii, 51, the former president of a real estate agency. Yoshii is under indictment for shooting an employee to death for insurance money in the Philippines in 2005.

Yamamoto appeared as a witness in Yoshii's trial at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday but made statements that contradicted those he made during police interrogations and refused to answer some questions.

The prosecutors then requested that the court play the DVD, arguing that his confession to committing the conspiracy with Yoshii was trustworthy. The court approved the request Thursday.