Execution chamber at Tokyo Detention House opened to media

Foreign press were barred from the visit despite repeated requests for access .... The Ministry of Justice gave no clear reason.

Let me provide a clear reason: The Ministry of Justice can't control the foreign press.

The description of the place in the above aricle kind of sends a cold chill down my spine.

Looks nice and clean, like a hospital room, probably simpler and cheaper to operate than the USA's gas or injection chambers... Japan shows again that "simpler is better"... after all, even the most primitive and barbaric countries must be proud of something sometimes...

Let me provide a clear reason: The Ministry of Justice can't control the foreign press.

They certainly did today, they didn't even let them in!

It must really suck being on Death Row here in Japan. Some inmates have been on death row for 10 years, then suddenly woken up one morning and told that They are gonna be hanged. Two hours later, it's all over. They must live everyday wondering if it's gonna be the last.

How can people justify capital punishment as punishment has been aimed to rehabilitate guilty peoples?

Punishment don´t may include death penalty.

They had a report on TV a bit earlier on about it and showed a lot of videos taken inside. Apparently the facility is on the 5th Floor in what I presume is the building they showed videoed from a Helicopter.

They also explained the procedure in detail along with the Video and CG created sections. Was quiet interesting.

Despicable.

It must really suck being on Death Row here in Japan.

I would think death row sucks just about anywhere.

'such as how to pick up death row inmates to hang and how to treat them in their daily lives.'--I suppose you pick them up off the floor after they have been hanged.

Really, this is so 19th century.

I used to know a priest that visited death row prisoners (among others) here in Tokyo (this was some time ago) but at the time he would get very upset because every so often he would arrive to see a death row inmate and be told his scheduled visit was canceled and not given any reason he would then call the inmates lawyer and family who were just as much in the dark, he explained that is sometime took the lawyer several days to confirm that the inmate had been executed.

Now this was in the mid to late 1990's, I'm guessing by this article things have changed a bit.

The room that wasn't shown was the one underneath the trapdoor where the prisoner actually dies, bare concrete with a drain for the body fluids that leak from the dead body, and entrance/exit for staff to remove of the body. That's the real end of the process.

How can people justify capital punishment as punishment has been aimed to rehabilitate guilty peoples?

No, punishment is punishment i.e. retribution. All criminal sentences carry an elembent of retribution. Rehabilitation is a by-product, but not in cases of the death penalty.

Punishment is one thing.But no one has the right to take away another life. I hate this.

It must really suck being on Death Row here in Japan. Some inmates have been on death row for 10 years, then suddenly woken up one morning and told that They are gonna be hanged. Two hours later, it's all over. They must live everyday wondering if it's gonna be the last.

"The anticipation of death is worse than death itself"

Personally, I hate the death penalty, it really serves IMHO no purpose, I watched a very interesting program on the National Geographic channel a few months ago about the condemned on death row It was really interesting to see these guys talk in the interview about their alleged crimes that they committed and of course proclaiming their innocence and using every avenue until they reach the final appeals process and up to the moment of the execution, they don't show the actual killing, but right up to when they walk into the death room chamber, the camera goes blank to the next scene where the body is laying on the gurney and the family comes in to collect the body, interesting, but also creepy to see a guy talking and the next minute watch his body laying lifeless. That kind of coverage would never, ever happen in Japan. Makes you really think about it all, but after watching that, I have to admit, I resent the death penalty even more. Too quick and easy, I think life is better-never get out, always have to be locked up for 23 hours a day, that would drive anyone insane. Talking to most death row inmates, I hear many long for death, so that they don't have to live a miserable life in jail. I think they should do exactly that, deny them that wish! Let them suffer mentally for the rest of their lives, but again, that is MHO.

Talking to most death row inmates, I hear many long for death, so that they don't have to live a miserable life in jail. I think they should do exactly that, deny them that wish! Let them suffer mentally for the rest of their lives....

How many death row inmates have you "talked to"? I suspect none. And your desire that other human beings should "suffer mentally for the rest of their lives" is, genuinely, a sign of mental problems. Get help!

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If they didn't have a death penality more and more people will kill each other. This is just to scare people into being civil & respect other beings Capital punishment has been going on since the beginning of times, roman time, and etc etc.

In 1989, the U.N. General Assembly adopted an international treaty aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, which Japan has yet to ratify

...just like the Hague Convention.

Only barbaric countires still use the death penalty. Japan, Saudia Arabia, Iran, America etc...

@whiskeysour

If they didn't have a death penalty more and more people will kill each other.

So why is the murder rate in Europe, which has no death penalty, so much lower than it is in America? Why is the rate so much lower in Japan, which uses the death penalty very, very sparingly, than in America, where someone is executed every week?

What's most important about this issue is the fact that many innocent people are jailed for crimes in every country. Japan has a serious issue with miscarriages of justice, as recent cases have shown, and it's fair to assume that many innocent people have been murdered in custody by the Japanese state in this way. The death penalty is abhorrent and should be abolished everywhere immediately.

So why is the murder rate in Europe, which has no death penalty, so much lower than it is in America? Why is the rate so much lower in Japan, which uses the death penalty very, very sparingly, than in America, where someone is executed every week?

Easy question to answer - in America there is an out of control drug problem and anyone can have access to guns.

@kyushujoe

How many death row inmates have you "talked to"? I suspect none. And your desire that other human beings should "suffer mentally for the rest of their lives" is, genuinely, a sign of mental problems. Get help!

What are you talking about? I was referring to the TV program, that THE inmates were interviewed, not by me! As far as mentally, I stand by that, sure do. In the states most guys that are on death row long for it. Also, I personally do know of 2 individuals on death row and they rather be dead than to live out their existence behind 4 walls waiting day in and day out for time to go by. So yes, I would rather see a convicted criminal suffer in prison than to get hung or a needle in the arm. The death penalty should be totally abolished.

@bass4funk

I was referring to the TV program, that THE inmates were interviewed, not by me!

Okay, but you did say (quote)

Talking to most death row inmates, I hear many long for death,

which sounds to me like you have personally spoken to them. Anyway, your wish,

So yes, I would rather see a convicted criminal suffer in prison than to get hung

(should be "hanged", but what the hell?) marks you out as seriously unpleasant in my book. Sorry!

Japanese society has traditionally punished with death to their meanest citizens. I think it is a good thing for the public to see these facilities and listen to the inmates. It is necessary for all of us to have the more possible information in order to judge whether it is good or bad to have the death penalty.

It seems to me Japan only executes prisoners when they get old enough to start drawing a pension or a random choice. I can imagine somebody waking from the justice ministry who cut cut off on his way home from work picking a name out of a hat of the prisoners to be killed the next day.

The biggest "trouble" with capital punishment in Japan is that inmates are locked up for so long under such stress that they all go insane.

It is like they wait until the prisoners have gone insane before they execute them.

Japan needs to cease this barbaric practice.

Prisons are for rehabilitation so that a person can be returned to society and be a productive citizen. In California the government spends Y4000000 a year to protect a prisoner on death row. It spends Y450000 a year to educate a student. What should be society's priority - inmates or students. Every yen spent on death row is a yen that is not spent on the elderly who are also facing the "death penalty" as we all are, but who have followed the rules and deserve comfort. Finally, just because a country is highly industrialized, well-educated, etc. does not mean that it cannot have a death penalty for convicted criminals. It isn't a matter of money, it is just a matter of a well deserved penalty.

@kushujoe

(should be "hanged", but what the hell?) marks you out as seriously unpleasant in my book. Sorry!

It's ok if you find it unpleasant, no need to apologize, but the death penalty is out of date, cruel, barbaric even for the most heinous crimes. Giving someone life without the possibility of parole and keeping them on lockdown is scarier in reality (mentally) than having a physical execution. Why give certain individuals the satisfaction of murdering them for their crimes, because that's all it is. Execution is legal murder. So that makes it right? Now in a law abiding civilized society we have the right to take someones life?? That is totally absurd! Two wrongs don't make a right. Ironic, on that same program I was talking about earlier, one of the condemned was almost happy it was almost over, because he said, he doesn't have to live in prison anymore, he just wanted to be FREE. My point exactly! Death is always the easiest way to avoid personal responsibility, which is a huge problem in our society today.

If they didn't have a death penality more and more people will kill each other.

Thats not true.

This is just to scare people into being civil & respect other beings

The words "scare" and "respect" dont belong together.

Well only other option is keep them under ground a 100% dark room with out food and water, then they will die in a few weeks.

Or feed them good food and make them work hard on heavy job and let them die due to heavy work...

Or let these death inmates fight each other until they one die and continue it..

or JUST bring them to the media and bow thier heads and pour few drops of tears and let them free..

So govt no need to spend lots of money to keep and feed.. SAVE money...

A Japanese government survey

Ah...must be correct then...

Interestingly enough watched a program yesterday that stated that Death-row inmates are supposed to be hung within "6 months" of the sentence being pronounced.

Looks like that part got lost over the decades.

if they didn't have a death penality more and more people will kill each other.

this myth has been disproven again and again.

Capital punishment has been going on since the beginning of times, roman time, and etc etc.

and that makes it alright? it's a quaint tradition?

Gopd idea to have it open for tourists and charge them fees.

The death penalty is barbaric and has no place in any civilised society.

It is fairly well known by criminologists that when inmates are consulted regarding the treatment of other prisoners they are normally far harsher than the rest of the population. Perhaps in democratic societies prisoners should be allowed to vote regarding the fate of their fellow inmates after sentence. I am sure this would result in a dramatic increase in executions. Prisoners might also be involved in deciding appeals as many long term prisoners have a great deal of experience in legal matters and would no doubt deal with matters quickly and at minimal cost.

By the way, they do not stand on the trapdoor, they kneel on it, and then slowly strangle in the pit below. Albert Pierrepoint would be appalled by the lack of professionalism. William Calcroft would have approved.

Where do you hear this? I thought everyone practiced the short stop from a long drop...

I somehow thought that they used lethal injections. Hanging seems painful.....