02 November 2005 :

Seiken Sugiura, Japan's new justice minister, was forced into an embarrassing retreat, less than 24 hours after he said he would refuse to sign execution orders because he opposes the death penalty. Sugiura, who was given the post in a cabinet reshuffle, said he would carry out his duties with "careful consideration" after he was reportedly given a dressing down by the prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi. "The comment was an expression of my feelings as an individual and was not made in relation to the conduct of the duties and responsibilities of a justice minister," he said. "I would like to correct my statement because I would regret any misunderstandings I might have caused with the remark."
But his remarks fuelled speculation that Japan, one of two G7 nations - the other is the US - to retain the death penalty, would review its stance on capital punishment. "In the long term I have the feeling we will move towards abolition," he said after his appointment.
Despite his apparent climbdown, Mr Sugiura indicated that his opposition to the death penalty could influence his conduct. "Personally I believe that nobody should be able to take away somebody else's life," he said. "Even those who have been sentenced to death for whatever reason - they are still human beings." 
A high-ranking bureaucrat at the Justice Ministry said Sugiura will not refuse to sign execution orders. "He expressed his personal feelings that he doesn't want to sign orders of execution. However, I understand that he will sign them if he is required to do so."