02 October 2024 :

Newly appointed Justice Minister Hideki Makihara said on October 2, 2024 that abolishing the death penalty in Japan, where there have been no executions in over two years, would be "inappropriate" as the public largely considers it "unavoidable for heinous crimes."
Speaking at a press conference, Makihara added that since taking a human life is an extremely serious matter, it should be approached with utmost care.
Amid heightened interest in the retrial process following the recent acquittal of Iwao Hakamata, 88, who spent nearly half a century on death row, Makihara stressed that "careful and thorough consideration from various perspectives is necessary."