Abolishing Japan’s death penalty ‘inappropriate’: Justice Minister

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Newly appointed Justice Minister Hideki Makihara said Wednesday that abolishing the death penalty in Japan, where there have been no executions in over two years, would be “inappropriate” as the public largely considers it “unavoidable for heinous crimes.”

Speaking at a press conference, Makihara added that since taking a human life is an extremely serious matter, it should be approached with utmost care.

Amid heightened interest in the retrial process following the recent acquittal of Iwao Hakamata, 88, who spent nearly half a century on death row, Makihara stressed that “careful and thorough consideration from various perspectives is necessary.”

He also took a cautious stance on the issue of allowing married couples to use different surnames, a contentious issue during the recent Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, warning that progress should not be forced amid divided public opinion.

Regarding the acceptance of foreign workers under a new system to replace the current foreign trainee program, Makihara said he would work with relevant ministries to determine the extent to which job transfers would be permitted.

Replacing the current system that prohibits switching workplaces for the first three years, the new system, expected to be implemented in 2027, will permit job transfers after one or two years of employment at one workplace.