Letters sent from prison to civic groups by some of the executed Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult members expressed regret for their heinous crimes and a wish to atone.
Their letters also included calls for the abolition of capital punishment and requests for amnesty, showing their continued hopes to live even well over 10 years after their death sentences were finalized.
Cult founder Shoko Asahara, who was convicted of numerous murders including the 1995 sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway system, and six other former senior members, were executed Friday.