in the reshuffled Japanese Government, Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama...

in the reshuffled Japanese Government, Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama, nicknamed the "grim reaper" and the "executioner" by the press for having authorised a record number of executions in less than a year, was replaced by Okiharu Yasuoka, a former judge, previously served as Justice Minister in under former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori in 2000. However, newly appointed Justice Minister Yasuoka said that the system of capital punishment should be maintained in Japan. “I think capital punishment needs to be maintained as it is supported by the people,” Yasuoka told a news conference, citing an opinion poll that showed more than 80 percent of Japanese people support the death penalty.