Showdown in apathetic Fukushima finds justice minister scrambling for survival
Justice Minister Mitsuhide Iwaki is feeling threatened. With his electoral district in Fukushima Prefecture reduced to one seat from two for Sunday's Upper House election, he needs to beat Democratic Party rival Teruhiko Mashiko, something he failed to pull off the last time around. If the ...
Japan sends two more inmates to the gallows
Two death row inmates were hanged Friday morning, according to the Justice Ministry, bringing to 16 the number of executions carried out under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration since taking power in 2012. The two prisoners were Yasutoshi Kamata, 75, and Junko Yoshida, 56. Yoshida ...
Japan hangs two prisoners, including first convicted in lay judge trial
The executions cast a spotlight on the moral and emotional burden of nonprofessionals being asked to hand down death sentences.
Japan lawyers' group slams 'inhumane' death penalty, calls for suspension, national debate
The Japan Federation of Bar Associations on Wednesday condemned capital punishment as "inhumane" and called on Justice Minister Mitsuhide Iwaki to set up an panel of experts to review the policy. It said the body should start a national debate about a practice already abandoned ...
New justice minister pledges tighter immigration control at airports amid an increase in tourists
Amid a surge in foreign tourists, newly appointed Justice Minister Mitsuhide Iwaki said Friday that tightening immigration control at airports is one of the ministry's most urgent priorities. It is imperative that counter-terrorism efforts at airports be stepped up, as the country experiences an unprecedented ...
Internal affairs minister Takaichi, justice chief Iwaki visit Yasukuni
Cabinet ministers Sanae Takaichi and Mitsuhide Iwaki visit the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo a day after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent an offering.
New justice minister backs capital punishment, but says careful approach required
Newly appointed Justice Minister Mitsuhide Iwaki on Wednesday supported the need for capital punishment but added that execution orders should be decided carefully. "Since a majority of the public says capital punishment is unavoidable, it is not appropriate to abandon the system," Iwaki said in ...
