Hayashi Yoshimasa, the new Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, is attending a press conference held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo. On December 15, 2023, Tokyo Yonhap News reported that the Japanese government stated that “the government does not consider abolition appropriate” in response to opinions that a fundamental review of the death penalty system is necessary.
According to Kyodo News on the 14th, Japan’s government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa, mentioned this during a press conference, saying, “It is inevitable to impose the death penalty on those who commit very serious and heinous crimes.” He cited public opinion trends and the ongoing reality of heinous crimes as reasons for the difficulty of abolishing the death penalty.
Prior to this, the ‘Symposium to Consider Japan’s Death Penalty System’ held a press conference in Tokyo the previous day, proposing the formation of a consultative body to discuss related issues for fundamental system improvement, including the abolition of the death penalty.
According to the Asahi Shimbun, this group, which includes lawmakers, bereaved families of crime victims, and a former prosecutor general, pointed out many problems with the current death penalty system, arguing that “it should not continue as it is.”
The group noted the trend that many countries, primarily in Europe, have abolished the death penalty and highlighted that the United Nations repeatedly calls for a suspension of executions in death penalty-retaining countries, including Japan. They criticized the current death penalty system, stating that “it is likely to harm Japan’s national interest.”
They also emphasized the possibility of wrongful death penalty rulings, citing the example of Iwao Hakamada, who was imprisoned for about 48 years following a death sentence for a family murder case in 1966 before being acquitted last month.
The group added that strengthening support for bereaved families of victims and investigating execution methods and the psychological burden on correctional officers are also necessary. However, Secretary Hayashi opposed the proposed establishment of a consultative body by the group, stating that he “has no intention” to do so.
Despite demands from international human rights organizations for the abolition of the death penalty, Japan maintains it due to a large amount of supporting domestic public opinion. It was reported that last year, for the first time in three years since 2020, no executions took place in Japan.