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Three Japanese prisoners executed Three Japanese prisoners executed
(about 2 hours later)
Three prisoners have been executed in Japan, the authorities have announced. Three death row prisoners have been executed in Japan, the authorities have announced.
The three convicted murderers were hanged at separate prisons, according to a justice ministry spokesman, who declined to give further details. The justice ministry identified the men as convicted murderers Masahiko Matsubara, 63, Takashi Mochida, 65, and Keishi Nago, 37.
They were hanged at separate prisons in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.
Human rights groups are critical of the secrecy surrounding executions in Japan, one of the few industrialised countries to retain the death penalty.Human rights groups are critical of the secrecy surrounding executions in Japan, one of the few industrialised countries to retain the death penalty.
Names of those executed are not usually published, and relatives are only told after the hangings have taken place. Relatives are told only after the hangings have taken place and this is just the second time the names of those executed have been publicly announced.
But when three men were hanged in December, their names were announced publicly by the authorities for the first time - a move welcomed by human rights groups as a sign that Japan was becoming more open. The first was in December 2007, when three men were executed.
Campaigners still remain critical of Japan's continued use of the death penalty, but opinion polls suggest the policy is supported by an overwhelming majority of Japan's population. Campaigners remain critical of Japan's continued use of the death penalty, but opinion polls suggest the policy is supported by an overwhelming majority of Japan's population.
"For extremely vicious criminal cases, public opinion holds that death sentences must be handed down and carried out," Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama said.
"We have considered a variety of factors so that we can carry out executions in a methodical manner, rather than thinking about the intervals and the timing," he said.
Nine people were executed in Japan in 2007. Friday's three executions are the first this year.Nine people were executed in Japan in 2007. Friday's three executions are the first this year.