On April 6 China executed a Japanese national for the first time since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations in 1972. On Friday, three more Japanese men were executed for drug-related offenses.
The Japanese government had expressed "concern" about the executions. Mitsunobu Akano, a 65-year-old and the first to be exected, was convicted of trying to smuggle 2.5 kg of stimulants to Japan. He was arrested at Dalian airport in September 2006.
Questions remain about whether Akano was given a fair trial. He reportedly had protested that his interpreter was not qualified and had expressed doubts about the accuracy of investigation records. He also had complained that the death sentence was too heavy in view of his auxiliary role in the crime. His death sentence was finalized in April 2009.