Japan executes prisoner who killed 7 in Tokyo street rampage

Good!!..

Great news, but why did they wait so long? He should have been disposed of years ago.

Japan has maintained the death penalty despite growing international criticism

I think I have read this line every single time following an execution here. Japan doesnt care about "international criticism" regarding the death penalty.

Furthermore, the general population doesnt care either, and until the people start to complain, it's a non issue to the government.

14 years to finalize a verdict.

j-justice is painfully slow and pointless.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

They executed him, problem solved /s

Tuesday's hanging was the second under the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took office in October.

There must be others who deserve the same outcome.

As usual a the minus points against the death penalty.....

The guy was angry against the world because he couldn't find a girlfriend. He decided the best way to "get back at the world" was to run people over in a truck and then proceed to stab them as they lay injured in the street. There was no doubt about his guilt, hundreds of witnesses. Why did it take so long to erase his miserable life?

Shoulds killed him seven times.

One wonders what the cost was of keeping this piece of human trash alive for 14 years?

capital punishment was a justified response to continuing heinous and violent crime

His suffering is over. However, the suffering and trauma of the families of the victims and witnesses will go on for the rest of their lives. This is why I disagree with the death penalty. Death is a release from punishment. Spending the rest of one’s life in a 6x4 cell is a punishment.

The picture is very deceiving.

If you were around back then you know that the first people to rush to the aid of the victims were foreigners.

Never seen so many blonde blue eyes people in one place as the Japanese stood around watching.

Nearly all being Easter European or USA service men.

These people rushed to help, but while these photos were all over the world and the internet.

Japanese news showed only after once the ambulances arrived.

I know I was at my part time job in Akihabara and saw the aftermath.

Elvis is hereToday  04:48 pm JST

What outcome? Taking office? 

Your online political science course needs to get you to do a 101 module in writing!!!

It might help you to stay focused on the article.

Give it a shot!

Good riddance

Rest in Peace to the 7 innocent victims of this evil, now extinguished individual.

I remember visiting Akihabara several hours after this incident, completely ignorant of what had happened. All the shops were closed at the front of the shop, but many had rear entrances that were open. It was only later that I learned what had happened. With a truck and a knife he killed 7, imagine if he had had a gun. Many, many more could have died.

Redstorm

I remain opposed to our capital punishment.

Me too.

I understand the opinions of those who disagree with Captial Punishment on principle although I disagree.

I also understand that the practice is not perfect, especially in my native United States where it disproportionately affects minorities, and where a number of innocent people (not they were not somehow responsible - the did not do it) have been put to death. This is an issue that cannot be allowed to remain.

I also understand that capital punishment as currently practiced involves some amount of bodily pain and/or psychological trauma. This is more so in Japan where the condemned does not know which day willl be his (very rarely her) last.

And yet, for a chosen few, I believe that it is an appropriate, in fact the only appropriate punishment. This man is one of those people. His guilt and mental state are (were) not in doubt. His crimes were especially heinous.

This may not be a popular opinion, but I have come to the conclusion that vengence, yes vengence, is a legitimate component of the justice system. Correction an Rehabilitation where possible. Punishment - yes of course. Mercy where justifyed. But for the select few, not many, just a chosen few like this man, vengence is a legitimate compnent.

My mother would here quote to me "Vengence is mine sayth the Lord." Well, A) I don't believe in God, and B) How do you know that the justice system isn't the scheduling secretary that expidites the meeting?

Or long story short - Capital Punishment should be rare and reserved for the worst of the worst - the irredemable and the unequivolly guilty. And this guy got what he deserved.

Wow, only 14 years to execute him. If it was in America, he would still be on death row, exhausting numerous appeals and wasting huge amounts of tax payers' money. In the U.S. killers are more likely to die of natural causes in prison than of the death penalty.

You got to appreciate Japans criminal punishment. Like in most western system, he would be deem time served with good behaviour. Not in Japan, put him in high security prison for a life term once served than hang him. That how is should be none.

in a country where people value their own lives so poorly, the death penalty might actually be an incentive to commit these rampages

A little less garbage in the world. It must’ve felt good to execute this scum. The only thing bothering me is that they kept this “thing” alive for fourteen years.

Executions are carried out in high secrecy in Japan, where prisoners are not informed of their fate until the morning they are hanged.

That’s good – the agony of not knowing. We shouldn’t let them have the opportunity of “getting ready” (mentally and psychologically). That would, somehow, ease their pain. Let them burn in the unknown.

Mr KiplingToday  04:10 pm JST

Great news, but why did they wait so long? He should have been disposed of years ago.

Because Japan's laws has the same characteristic as other democratic nations. The convicted has a right to appeal and pursue legal courses of action that result in lengthy delays. Same as in the United States.

Drespite the J-bashers constant chant that there is no justice in Japan, there is, Otherwise there would have been a summary judgement ordering execution with no chance of appeal, and he would have been executed ages ago.

Not to sure about the logic to answer to death by death.

I have no problem with capital punishment for those convicted of willful multiple murders. Most people, deep down wouldn't either.

He was 25. Now 39. Life wasted. His brother killed himself because of him.

His motives selfish in extreme and self-centered.

I can't say I'm happy. No death makes me happy. But I won't surely shred a tear for him.

Rakuraku - Not to sure about the logic to answer to death by death

Its easy to understand. It is government sanctioned revenge killing.

Its easy to understand. It is government sanctioned revenge killing.

Revenge is an emotional human reaction. A government is supposed to be rational cool headed entity.

No moral person wishes to be a murderer by association.

Death sentences are state sanctioned murder, in a democracy each and every one is therefore responsible for the extinguishing of everything that person could have hoped for or achieved, they are murderers by association and carry the moral guilt of that. Unless they are sociopaths and don’t give a damn for human life.

This individual committed an heinous crime but how is society better by exacting an equally heinous revenge against him? A lifetime to consider what he has done and face the consequences is surely a better outcome.

There are three “pillars” underlying imprisonment as a punishment, to punish the offender, reform and protection of society. Revenge is for good reason not one of them. Dispationate justice was sought so as to break the cycles of violence created by the idea of revenge.

Hang ‘em High

I don't support capital punishment and favor life in prison with no possibility of parole for murder. Too many mistakes are made as we all know, and posthumous pardons don't really cut it. Multiple U.S. states scrapped the death penalty because legal costs made its use too expensive. Life in prison is much cheaper, and is a more severe punishment in many ways. It also allows for release and compensation if an error is made.

https://ejusa.org/resource/wasteful-inefficient/

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/76th2011/ExhibitDocument/OpenExhibitDocument?exhibitId=17686&fileDownloadName=h041211ab501_pescetta.pdf

I have no sympathy for this guy of course. He is absolutely 100% guilty of a disgusting crime that ruined many lives. If the death penalty is to be used, it should be reserved for cases like this one, where there is absolutely no possibility at all of an error having been made.

There is absolutely zero evidence or facts that prove capital punishment deters or prevents crime. It simply doesn't. Killing one serial or mass murderer won't make others stop, think, and decide to stop. Same for for those guilty of major crimes. The next person isn't going to think, 'oh....I may be executed if I do this, I better not do it.'

So if it doesn't make society safer, then the only reason people support it is a need for revenge, vengeance, retribution.

Next up: Masumi Hayashi the arsenic curry murderer.

Killed 4 sickened 61 (that we know of) and more than deserving.

Very clear in Japan that the penalty for this crime is execution - the vast majority of Japanese people support this, so who are we as gaijins to criticise this......

The deterrence factor in the capital punishment scenario is what keeps the crime rate so low in Japan - this is what the Japanese people like and appreciate.

So if it doesn't make society safer, then the only reason people support it is a need for revenge, vengeance, retribution.

Yep. But I don’t think that’s the argument against it that you think it is.

MartimuranoToday  06:53 pm JST

Very clear in Japan that the penalty for this crime is execution - the vast majority of Japanese people support this, so who are we as gaijins to criticise this......

The deterrence factor in the capital punishment scenario is what keeps the crime rate so low in Japan - this is what the Japanese people like and appreciate.

If it did deter killers like this guy, we wouldn't have any attacks this year in Japan. We've had several haven't we.

NemoToday  06:55 pm JST

So if it doesn't make society safer, then the only reason people support it is a need for revenge, vengeance, retribution.

Yep. But I don’t think that’s the argument against it that you think it is.

Oh really. Then enlighten us genius.

No moral person wishes to be a murderer by association.

Death sentences are state sanctioned murder, in a democracy each and every one is therefore responsible for the extinguishing of everything that person could have hoped for or achieved, they are murderers by association and carry the moral guilt of that. Unless they are sociopaths and don’t give a damn for human life.

This individual committed an heinous crime but how is society better by exacting an equally heinous revenge against him? A lifetime to consider what he has done and face the consequences is surely a better outcome.

There are three “pillars” underlying imprisonment as a punishment, to punish the offender, reform and protection of society. Revenge is for good reason not one of them. Dispationate justice was sought so as to break the cycles of violence created by the idea of revenge.

Great post. Quite surprised that few people here seem to understand this.

And rightfully so!

He dished out death at random, showed no mercy. Now give him death and let his victims families know that hes paid with his own life.

Ever consider that capital punishment may well be an incentive for murder?

Good riddance.

Great news, but why did they wait so long? He should have been disposed of years ago.

Part of the punishment. He didn't know when his last day would be. Just like those people spending a day shopping minding their own business also did not.

"justified response to continuing heinous and violent crime"

I have always been against ending a life, it doesn't matter what is it, Humans, Animals, Trees, or any thing with a beat. because NOTHING will change by ending yet another life.

When a person decides to commits these acts of violence he or she has already passed the point of NO RETURN and nothing will stop him or her or even change their mind, living or dying after reaching that point of no return means NOTHING.

So hanging him may send a short massage to those who have NOT yet reached that point but it will NOT do anything to those who have already made up their minds.