Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama defended the government's...

Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama defended the government's policy of not publicizing the names of death-row inmates who are executed and predicted Japan will maintain capital punishment.
Moriyama said at a news conference her ministry will limit the information released about executions to the dates and executions per se, in response to criticism of the ministry's terse announcement on December 27 that two people had been put to death.
Asked about a review of capital punishment, she said, "I am not going to voice my personal opinion, but the fact that nearly 80% of Japanese people accept capital punishment is an important factor."
Meanwhile, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations issued a statement deploring the December 27 executions. The statement said the federation has asked the state to stop conducting executions until the country fully debates the matter and to review the policy with respect to the international human rights law.