Nine members of the House of Representatives Judicial Affairs Committee visited the Tokyo Detention House in Katsushika Ward on Wednesday morning for a rare view of its execution chamber.

According to the judiciary committee, it was the first time in 30 years that the Justice Ministry has allowed outsiders to view any of its gallows.

Execution chambers are located in detention houses rather than prisons because the government regards death-row inmates as convicts awaiting the execution of their sentences, rather than those serving a prison term.