Japan hangs 3 in first use of capital punishment in 2 years

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has hanged three death-row inmates amid growing criticism from human rights groups of its use of the death penalty. Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa says the three were convicted of “extremely ghastly” murders and the punishment was appropriate. Japan and the U.S. are the only two countries in the Group of Seven industrialized nations that use capital punishment. Executions are carried out in high secrecy in Japan, where prisoners are not informed of their fate until the morning they are hanged. Since 2007, Japan has begun disclosing the names of those executed and some details of their crimes, but information is still limited.