Prosecutors sought a four-year prison term Tuesday for Chinese convict Li Guolin, who is charged with escaping from Hiroshima Prison in January and theft.
A prosecutor said in during closing arguments at the Hiroshima District Court that the actions of Li, 40, "caused great worries and shock to the public."
The court will hand down a verdict May 22.
During the session, Li apologized for his escape and his failure to quickly turn himself in.
"I wanted to breathe the outside air as long as possible and see the sky," he said.
Li is charged with escaping from the prison on Jan. 11 and breaking into two locations, where he stole 93 items, including clothes and food, in the following two days.
He was sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2006 for crimes including attempted murder.