INSIDE JAPAN from our view

 Koizumi cautions Sugiura over remarks on death penalty   Japan Times:Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday urged new Justice Minister Seiken Sugiura to be cautious when expressing a personal view on controversial issues, a warning against his remarks the previous day in which he said he will not sign any orders for executions.

 Death penalty is not a controversial issue in Japan, I guess. The word "controversial" should contain the meaning that some people say "Yes" and others say "No". In Japan, the majority of the people argue the importance of the existence of death penalty instead of criticizing it in a view from human rights.

 This current movement is linked with crimes which happen more year by year and which are becoming far more savagely than a few decades ago. People feel like imposing heavy penalties to criminals who committed horrible murders. It is easy to understand the emotions of the families who lost their father, mother or children.

 That is why Sugiura, new Justice Minister, was criticized as soon as he said his view on death penalty. Now, the country which does death penalty the most is China where about 10000 people are executed every year. But the number is getting fewer and fewer, I heard. So in near future, Japan will become the number one country in this unfavorable ranking.