In Japan, a man who killed seven people in a shooting spree in the capital Tokyo in 2008 has been executed. Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa on Tuesday confirmed the country’s first execution this year. He approved the execution of the death sentence after “extremely careful consideration”.
The now executed Tomohiro Kato drove a truck into a crowd on June 8, 2008 in the Akihabara district. Then the then 25-year-old stabbed passers-by indiscriminately. He killed seven people and injured ten others before being arrested.
After his arrest, he told the police: “I came to Akihabara to kill people. It didn’t matter who I killed.” He had previously announced his actions on the Internet, complaining about his loneliness and his unstable job. He apologized in court for the crime. Kato was sentenced to death in 2011, but the country’s Supreme Court upheld the sentence in 2015.
Japan is one of the few developed nations that still retains the death penalty. Executions in the country are carried out by hanging, usually many years after the conviction – and sometimes only a few hours after the prisoners were informed of the forthcoming execution.
Most recently, three convicted murderers were executed last December. There are currently more than 100 prisoners on death row in Japan. Human rights groups have repeatedly criticized Japan’s adherence to the death penalty. However, there is broad popular support for the death penalty.