Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet approved a bill this month to bolster punishments issued under the juvenile law. This is partly in response to growing calls by people victimized by juvenile offenders to reduce their apparent impunity.
Justice Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki defended the move as an appropriate step to "secure public trust in (the handling) of juvenile trials and to stave off youth recidivism."
While the proposed revisions have their share of supporters, especially among those who lost loved ones to young criminals, they have drawn fierce criticism from human rights advocates and lawyers.