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| Execution chamber at Tokyo Detention Center |
In a sign of wavering support for capital punishment, the 1st decline in the percentage of Japanese who support the death penalty has been noted, although the support rate remains about 80 %, according to a Cabinet Office survey released Jan. 24.
The decline in support is the 1st since the survey, which is conducted every 5 years, began in 1994, it added.
The high percentage in the survey apparently shows the public's continuing sympathy for victims of violent crime.
However, movie director and author Tatsuya Mori, who calls for abolition of the death penalty, said that the decline in the support rate is attributable to the Shizuoka District Court's approval of a retrial in March for death-row inmate Iwao Hakamada, 78.
"(Due to the decision,) many people were made aware of strong-arm investigation tactics and unfair proceedings in trials," Mori said.
Hakamada, a former professional boxer, was on death row for decades after being convicted of murdering 4 people in 1966. He was released from prison in March after the court ordered a retrial.
The Cabinet Office conducted the latest survey in November 2014 on 3,000 men and women aged 20 years or older throughout the country through direct interviews. A total of 1,826 people, or 60.9 percent, gave valid responses.
According to the survey, 80.3 percent of the respondents said that having a death penalty is unavoidable, marking a decline of 5.3 % points from 85.6 % in 2009. Until then, the corresponding figures had continued to rise from 73.8 % in 1994 to 79.3 % in 1999 and to 81.4 % in2004.
On the other hand, 9.7 % of the respondents in the 2014 survey said that capital punishment should be abolished. That was a rise of 4.0 % points from 5.7 % in 2009.
In the 2014 survey, those who replied, "I don't know" or "I cannot reply yes or no" constituted 9.9 %.
The survey also asked the respondents about the reasons for their replies. They were allowed to give plural answers.
Of the respondents, 53.4 % of those who approved the death penalty said that if it is abolished, the feelings of victims or their families will not be assuaged. In addition, 52.9 % replied that those who committed heinous crimes should pay with their lives.
Besides, 47.4 % answered that if vicious criminals were allowed to live, they could commit similar violent crimes again.
On the other hand, 46.6 % of the respondents who sought the abolition of capital punishment said that if the results of the trials were later found to be false, it is impossible to restore the lives of the executed death-row inmates.
The 2014 survey also asked respondents about whether the death penalty should be abolished if a sentence of life imprisonment without parole was introduced in Japan. In response, 51.5 % replied that it should not be abolished while 37.7 % said that it should be abolished.
The reply showed that more than 50 % believe that life imprisonment without parole cannot become a substitute for capital punishment.
As for the results of the 2014 survey, Mikio Kawai, professor of sociology of law at the Toin University of Yokohama, said, "I think that those who approve of capital punishment are not giving their all-out support (to it). In their minds, the percentage for support and non-support is about 50-50."
However, Kawai added, "When they think about how to punish violent criminals, they will have strong resistance to the complete abolition of the death penalty."
He predicted that the support rate for the death penalty will continue to remain high.
Source: The Asahi Shimbun, January 25, 2015
