Organizers of a ¥10 million private fund that was introduced in 2005 to support death-row inmates have decided to maintain the fund beyond its original 10-year limit and will seek further contributions.
The fund has depended on money bequeathed by Sachiko Daidoji, an opponent of capital punishment whose son is on death row, and has been used to help condemned prisoners seek retrials while encouraging them to engage in artistic pursuits, such as painting and writing, in their cells by providing awards for excellent work.
The award selection committee includes an art director, literary critic and a well-known novelist.