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Japan executions on the rise as four murderers hanged

Japan hanged four convicted murderers yesterday, including one who wrote remorseful poetry about his crimes, as the country steps up the pace of executions, officials said.

Japan is the only major industrial country other than the US to use the death penalty, which enjoys wide support in a nation known for its low crime rate.

The justice ministry executed four convicted murderers aged 41 to 64 in different places in Japan, a justice ministry official said.

Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama has now signed off on 10 executions since taking over last year, marking the fastest pace since Japan ended a three-year hiatus in the death penalty in 1993.

“I ordered the executions in line with the law to fulfill my responsibilities as justice minister,” Hatoyama told reporters.

“I didn’t pay any attention to the number of executions nor to the pace of executions,” he said, adding that he personally reviewed the records of the inmates before agreeing to execute them.

One of the executed inmates, Kaoru Okashita, 61, was convicted of killing two people nearly 20 years ago including an 82-year-old woman with whom he had a property dispute.

TRADITIONAL ‘TANKA’

Okashita, who also went by the surname Akinaga, later wrote traditional tanka poetry — an ancient form of Japanese verse with 31 syllables — from death row in which he expressed remorse over his crimes and reflected on life waiting to die.

Keiko Mitsumoto, 62, the head of a tanka club who edited and published Okashita’s poetry, said she had just sent him back his latest proof-read verse a few days ago.

“He once told me he hoped to live until next year when our group’s tanka anthology is published. But his wish wasn’t realized,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion.

“His poetry was very, very gentle and even offered solace and encouragement to me. I could hardly believe he would commit murder,” she said. “He said he feared the day would suddenly come when the footsteps of a guard would stop in front of his cell to announce his execution. He seemed prepared for that, though, along with not meeting those close to him for a final farewell.”

LAST-MINUTE NOTICE

Controversially, Japan tells inmates of their executions only shortly before they are taken to the gallows in a bid to prevent last-minute appeals.

“It is unforgivable that the executions were again conducted secretly,” said Makoto Teranaka, an official at the Japanese branch of Amnesty International, which opposes the death penalty.

“Observing the current pace of executions, we can’t help but predict a huge number of executions this year, which goes totally against the world trend of abolishing capital punishment and is a shame on Japan,” Teranaka said.

Amnesty said two of the executed inmates including Okashita had been acquitted in early trials before the verdicts were overturned. Another inmate continued to insist he was innocent, while Amnesty said that the fourth may have been mentally unfit.
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