PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT GROWS IN JAPAN

the principles and taboos that Japan maintained with regard to capital punishment are being broken in succession. In December 2007, the Fukuda government broke with the tradition of not publicising them and announced the names and crimes of the three convicts being executed. When executions were carried out in February, Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama, who ordered the executions, expressed his views on the death sentences in person at a press conference. The tradition of not carrying out executions while the Diet, Japan's legislature, is in session in an attempt to avoid unnecessary controversies was also broken. Each of the three execution sessions overseen by the current government were done while the legislature was in session. The policy of capital punishment for juveniles also shifted from "exceptional" to "in principle," with the same criteria for death sentences that are applied to adults also being applied to minors. Japan's shift to this severe punishment policy reflects the move of public opinion toward the rights of victims and away from those of the assailant. About 80 percent of Japanese people have supported capital punishment since the start of the decade, according to government and media polls. Strong demands for stern punishment by the families of victims since the Hikari murders have played a major role in shaping public opinion. Justice Minister Hatoyama declared that executions would not be carried out if public opinion opposes them, underlining a strong will to conduct them so long as the people support them.