Japan Justice

Execution is a valid punishment. Hanging is just one of the may available ways. And it is cheaper to execute someone than keep them around for life. Mass murderers are in a category of people that execution should be available.

wow - death penalty is one thing, but it still being hanging in this day and age in a first world nation is shocking. And after seeing all the videos of Saddam's hanging, I just don't know......

In my opinion, , mass murderers shouldn't have a second chance... I believe it's not fair for a mass murderer to be kept in prison, what of the victims? They're innocent and died without cause... Sorry if I insulted anyone, this is just my stupid opinion...

Wow I didn't know they did death by hanging, not that that is much better than death by electric chair.

I really have very little sympathy for these people though so I don't mind that they die this way.

Sure, it's cheaper to execute a criminal, but it's really not much punishment compared to imprisonment. Imagine being locked in for 20 years. That has got to be worse than being killed right off. Of course, it might be boring in the afterlife (if there is such a thing), but no one knows if that's the case. Boredom for 20 years has to be the worst punishment.
Still, it's wrong to kill anyway...

I know these criminals probably deserve the death penalty, but I don't know..ending another person's life just doesn't sit well in my conscience. T_T

if they're worried about money and sustaining the criminals for life..why don't they just make them do manual labor or something.

Actually, death by hanging, if done right, is one of the more humane ways of executing someone. The idea is that the initial drop should break their neck thus leading to an instant death. Better than the electric chair I say. Of course, if it goes wrong, then you're in for a very slow and painful death...

I'm not 100% for the death penalty but what some people said above holds true. Why should people pay to have someone incarcerated for life if we know they will never change and will always be a threat to people?

Perhaps use the inmates to do labor that pays for the government keeping them alive? On the other hand, this takes away jobs from normal citizens.

In Singapore, the death sentence is passed for drug trafficking (the law also deem you a trafficker if you have possession of drugs beyond a certain weight as well as having the means to traffick it) , murder, the use of firearms. It sends a very sharp message: if you want to screw around with drugs, Singapore is not the place for you.

Wow, heavy subject.
The death penalty does provide some closure to the victim’s families, but I don’t see it as a deterrent. Violent crimes are a reflection on societal problems, in general. Poverty, unemployment, rising costs of EVERYTHING, drugs, etc. Is there evidence of capital punishment being a deterrent to violent crimes? I don’t think so. Rehabilitation does not seem to work either. Lock ’em up and throw away the key… might be the only logical choice.

There's no death penalty where I live and I think it's pretty bad. I'm not saying that killing is good, murder is murder and killing another is bad. You can have really good reasons to kill someone and many people would agree with your actions but still, the act itself is bad. (and should be punished...) The problem in many cases are lack of evidence and in some cases you can be treated more guilty than innocent until proven. There's no real justice since humans make their own justice and they're not God. (or A god...) All of this is just my opinion and to each is own. I say mass murderers get death penalty (hanging or not...) and freedom to the innocents!! (until proven guilty...)

Peace! Nippon Banzai!! (sorry, but I just came back from Tokyo and miss this city and the country (Nihon-jins too!!) so much!!)

Criminal that get to send to a death sentence....most of them earn this treatment by their behaviour......we cant give them any sympathy, i think for those tat still think tat the death penalty is inhuman one should know tat some baddie never change no matter how many chances u give them! If u give him a life sentence in jail wat the shit is for us tax payer to paid for his everyday meal and happy go easy life in the jail? Just send him to hell!

ppl like those tat go on a terrorist atk and kill thousand and millions in a single one hit do u still tat he deserve to live on? Rapist tat keep coming back to rape young children and female not matter how many time you sentence him to jail do they deserve another chance just to do the samething again? Drugs dealer that bring in drugs to poison all the youngster in the nation without caring for the pain they create do they deserve to continue on?

turn mass murderers into human guinea pigs for all sorts of unethical experiments. XD

If a person takes another person's life, then he/she must pay with his/her life too. Unless the victim's family forgives the murderer.

I'm against capital punishment, who are we to decide who lives or who dies?! Murderers should be kept in jail forever and I don't mind paying my taxes for it.

Capital punishment is forbidden in all EU.

IMO, capital punishment is just barbaric and I'd rather have criminals do hard manual labor than ending their life.

It may be expensive to the tax payer to keep a criminal alive but have them do manual labor which could pay off.

the only thing that scares me about capital punishment is what if they execute a innocent wrongly believed to be guilty?
well, let's re-phrase, what if the law decided wrongly on the guilty or innocent? anyone watch shawshank redemption (kick-ass movie do watch)
i mean the ppl that passes down judgement are only human, and even machine do make mistakes sometimes..
well i dont have a solution here..just rumbling about my concern...

I think capital punishment is a bad thing, for many reason already said, like mistake on suspect or that 2 wrong don't make a right. But I also believe every one should get a second chance, people can change and do change. Yes, it said for the victim(s) and their family, but killing the murderer won't bring them back. Also, for the economics question, it not necessarly true that death penalty, cost less, it not as easy as not paying to keep them in prison mean less money spent.
Wikipedia got more detailed information on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_debate#Economic_arguments

I have no pitty for people who commit hideous crimes such as mass murders.
But if possible, I'd keep the guy alive working 24 hours a day to serve the community.
He will never be able to pay for what he's done, but I think killing him is his easy way out.

He should work 'till he dies.

But I do defend death penalty in cases like Brazil. Because here, even the worst prisioners can only stay in jail for 30 to 40 years (sh*tty laws), and even so, most of them will only be in jail for 1/3 of this due to good behavior...

We have lots of other problems with our jail system too.

I agree with capital punishment, but hearing about it doesn't make me happy. While a murderer or rapist is just plain scum, but like others have said, if the law screws up it's an innocent life lost. And besides, sometimes I feel that my country's laws are just too plain strict. I mean, death penalty for a few grams of drugs?! Whatever would happen if someone decided to put you into trouble by slipping a small sachet into your bag? OoO They should have a rehabilitation option for adults just like they rehabilitate underage drug offenders...

But I'm not quite sure... just a hanging for a mass murderer is letting him get off too lightly. >:-( Let him suffer, I say. For his sins, and the imminent pressure he has brought to the anime lover's community.

if we're talking about mass murderers, i think it's best to just dispose of them the quickest and most cost efficient way possible. if you had a rotten apple in your basket, wouldn't you throw it away?

I say keep the DP. Why should these criminals be a drain on the rest of society. If they don't win an appeal in 3 tries over say 4 years. Kill'em. And not in a way that will to not feel pain...they should feel the pain as their victims did. I'd even be up for public execution.

if a guy kills 7 innocent folks he must die, in the worst, must painfull way posible, some hippes may agrue with me but people like those dont change their way of doing thing after been in jail, My country is full of delincuents and we dont give the capital punishment and thats why folk that kill an entire family go out in just 20 years to kill another family.

capital punishment is fair, if you dont want to be killed dont kill, easy as that.

Those who are kind to the cruel....will end up in the end being cruel to the kind.

So hang 'em high and lay 'em low.

For stuff like this, I just refer to the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.

It's clear that by killing others, he wants others to kill him too. I say we should just get along and fullfil the killer's wishes; do unto him as he did unto others. That way, everyone wins. Ah, if it were only that easy.

I'm against the death penalty. Though some people do some disturbing things in this world, killing them would only bring ourselves to their level of absurdity.

first response is i'm against capital punishment. but. this is a tough one to tackle, should or should it not be allowed. i don't know.

im more of an "eye for an eye" person.

I support capital punishment to its fullest extent.
More people getting executed will make other people think twice....
The things that goes through my mind.....so wicked.

Really if you release em 20 years later they can still snap and hurt others...but rather than just hang em and then bury em...put their corpses to good use as medical research material so that future findings can save lives...

I think the capital punishment is not only a burden on the morality of the people also a heavier tax burden on the people. I say everyone is equal in the face of the law. We should not treat a killer that killed ten people different than the one who killed his wife in a moment of passion. In a democracy, everyone is equal and must be equally be punished in proportion to their crimes. All life is sacred, and we are not the ones to decide when a person is to die. Humans cannot exact perfect punishment, because we are not perfect.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/nyregion/06rape.html?ex=1370491200&en=bc60cf51266f5a15&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Discuss this case.
Assuming you can outsource capital punishment to middle east for a cheap stoned-to-death execution style (thus nullify the cost argument). Would you still sentence him to walk towards the gallow?

Death is too easy if you ask me. Why would I want a criminal to be released from guilt into oblivion? I don't mind paying for criminals to lose their freedom although I wish they did more with them, slavery perhaps, seems a waste just letting them exist for no purpose other than to rot; work them into the ground so they can do something useful with their life.

So I believe in karma. And for those to have murdered in cold blood should get the same reflected on them. So mass murderers should be executed. I hear those out there saying 'No one has the right to decide whether a person lives or dies'. Sure. But obviously the murderers decided on whether or not they'd kill someone. Randomly even.

Incidentally, I believe all rapists and guys who sexually assault ladies should be castrated like the animals they are.

meh, just send them off in to the frontlines of war... They'll die eventually, or you can kill them off if necessary

capital punishment is the absolute right way for certain crimes. People who do despicable things like shootings or murder in cold blood or anything relating to harming a child, especially in a sexual manor, don't deserve to be pampered in jail for what they've done. I say leave the system be.

My opinion is-- the sentence should fit the crime. If someone wants to be a killer, then let 'em hang. I am one of the people who *does* mind paying taxes to keep people alive in prison.

Here in the States, we have a horribly corrupt judicial and penal system. Evil and violent criminals are given opportunities to get out of prison before their time is up, and unfortunately most of them go back to their lives of crime afterward. While they are IN prison, they continue their violent crimes inside, often killing other prisoners and/or prison guards. They also have easy access to drugs and alcohol. Furthermore, many prison inmates are gang members who have no trouble perpetuating their gang activities on both the inside and outside of the prison. Violent criminals learn from other criminals and often learn how to improve their crime-committing skills while on the inside, preparing them to be harder criminals who can more easily evade the law when they get out. It's a vicious circle.

THEN, in my opinion, there *IS* some benefit to the criminals' victims. I hope Kato Tomohiro is going to be executed for what he did. I believe he doesn't deserve to share life in this world with the rest of us.

My opinion is-- the sentence should fit the crime. If someone wants to be a killer, then let 'em hang. I am one of the people who *does* mind paying taxes to keep people alive in prison.

Here in the States, we have a horribly corrupt judicial and penal system. Evil and violent criminals are given opportunities to get out of prison before their time is up, and unfortunately most of them go back to their lives of crime afterward. While they are IN prison, they continue their violent crimes inside, often killing other prisoners and/or prison guards. They also have easy access to drugs and alcohol. Furthermore, many prison inmates are gang members who have no trouble perpetuating their gang activities on both the inside and outside of the prison. Violent criminals learn from other criminals and often learn how to improve their crime-committing skills while on the inside, preparing them to be harder criminals who can more easily evade the law when they get out. It's a vicious circle.

THEN, in my opinion, there *IS* some benefit to the criminals' victims. I hope Kato Tomohiro is going to be executed for what he did. I believe he doesn't deserve to share life in this world with the rest of us.

@Barsona, hmmmm that sounded very interesting. Have you read Thomas More's Utopia? The criminals in the utopian society were made to slave and labour, putting even scum of the society to good use and in a way, repay the society for the "sins" they have committed upon the society.

As for Danny-san's question, philosophically speaking, I think Japan has one of the most interesting criminal justice philosophies in the region if not the world.

I've read in a very very long article that the Japanese criminal justice system focuses on the rehabilitative utility of its system rather than the conventional retributive (aka an eye for an eye) philosophy that most of us in the Anglophile world is used to. Okay, it is not a coincidence since a great part of the world is influenced by the religions of the Book (i.e. Judaism, Christianity & Islam), the criminal justice system mirrors the beliefs (it doesn't matter whether the state/country is no longer religious and is currently a secular state; the focus is on how that state/region came about, i.e. its history, culture, past influences etc).

In Japan, IMHO, there is considerable influence from its shinto-ism and buddhism roots. It isn't surprising that its criminal justice system is built upon the need to rehabilitate criminal offenders and allowing them to re-integrate back in to the society. (Another point to note is how Japan is generally a very cooperative society, at least from a gai-jin's point of view.)

Sorry for the long post, just thought of sharing a little on the backdrop on how the Japanese criminal justice system is like and maybe a little food for thought as to why they'd want to remove the capital punishment.

I don't know it's very tricky, killing off a criminal just because there isn't enough resources to keep them alive isn't a very good solution isn't it? I think that's plain barbaric because it becomes a numerical exercise. Also, leaving capital punishment only for serious/grave crimes is legally and philosophically hard to digest. Are we sending out a message that it's alright to kill -insert arbitrary number- of people while it's not if it's -arbitrary number PLUS one- and therefore you'll get the death penalty?

It's difficult to decide that number and which crimes are more serious. In a society which focuses on materialism, translated it means that property means a great deal to them, proprietary crimes might require a more serious punishment (read: how people used to hack off arms of thieves in the Middle-East). But surely, is the motivation behind the punishment retributive, deterrent-seeking or rehabilitative?

It's unfair to punish one fella for the sake of stopping the rest from doing so. In any case, there are reports/numbers that capital punishment is equally effective/ineffective as non-capital punishment in relation to deterrence.

While it seems more fair when it comes to taking vengeance on a person who has let said killed another person, but for whom is the vengeance taken? The society collectively decides that killing off a murderer will somehow satisfy the family members of the victim? Or did the victim arise from his/her death and said, "Look, I want this bugger hung!" There's a problem of a mismatch between the avenger, who's to be avenged and the criminal.

Sigh... tough question, especially since some of us here at DCs come from a place with capital punishment, by hanging too.

maybe should have make them sweep the floor or something for many many moons..

Even if you hang that Akiba killer to death, the lost lives would never come back

I really sit on the fence when it comes to capital punishment.
Theres a lot of issues, and exploring everything kinda leads you to no decision. You need to factor in money, emotions, pyschology etc...
Then you need to look at the alternative. Prisons. some prisons these days are like personally mansions. Its like the analogy of the parent sending their naughty kid to their room with playstations and internet.
If prisons were more like ones from the medieval times, dark and gloomy and depressing, then Id definately think thats a better choice for someone like a mass murderer to spend teir rest of their life. Getting killed imo is letting them get off to easily.
Then theres the wrongly accused. Think of the situation where a innocent person may get the death sentence.
Im gonna stop here, we can all probably write an essay on this lol

Why keep a mass murderers alive giving his/her the possibility of ever escape and going on another killing spree. Kill them quick and painlessly. If they were to be forced to stay in prison for the remainder of their lives, I can't image it being much of a life in prison, better off ending them with their last meal and last words. And if they are to be released in x amount of years, there's a saying, "they come out worst than when they went in."

On the other hand, the justice system isn't great and people do make mistakes. So if someone was to be sentenced to life in prison then later found to be innocent or not guilty, at least they can still release the prisoner. Without the option of life in prisonment, the prisoner might be die for the wrong reason.

I won't say much on this topic. For me I think anyone sentenced for life in prison is just a big waste of tax payer's money. You wouldn't want a mass murderer to be out doing community service stuff would you? Death sentence might be a better choice in my opinion...

Funny thing is that I wonder why people want to abolish the lethal injection. The reason I love Texas is because they have the most executions in all of the other states combined in the united state. Not to mention the electric chair. It better to execute the criminals who have murder not the one who robs. Since the American economy is dropping I think that tax dollars should be spent more wisely..

Here a work I did about The Capital Punishment for my College

Killing in the Name of Justice?

Taking away a person's life with the Capital Punishment by a government to give to apply justice is the ultimate denial of human rights and discriminatory. This fundamental right is enunciated in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This is why the Capital Punishment is inhuman and degrading and is not accord to with the civilized and modern way of life; killing people to punish killers is not good way to say to the criminal, “killing is not good”. What the state does killing is promoting the same reactions in criminals, and the society get the wrong message as the violence should be punish with more violence promoting what we know as culture of death. Furthermore, the justice system is not infallible; there always the possibility of error, an innocent person could be sentence to death by an error in the system. In Canada, at least six prisoners being convicted for first-degree murderers and serving sentences get their freedom based in new evidence proving their innocence, also two of those persons were in jail for more the ten years, they could faced the death penalty if this still used in Canada5. Experience shows many times that criminals can avoid the dead penalty even thought they were possible guilty of horrible crimes they committed, but they faced mild prosecutor or could hire a good lawyer and avoid harder sentences or even the Jail. The most notorious case was the one against the ex sport star O.J. Simpson and the trail for murder of his wife and her boyfriend. However, persons who are poor and could no afford a good defense are subject to be found guilty more easily and received the worst punishments. History shows us how the death penalty has been disproportionately used against poor people, religious groups, ethnic minorities, and politics opponents; and we conclude this is probe the death penalty is discriminatory.

The Death Penalty did not reduce the criminality as supporters said. Canada is probe of that, when the executions stop in Canada in 1976 the homicides did not increase, nevertheless the number the homicides was lowest than the previous year changing from 2.8 to 2.7 per 100,000 persons, and the next 20 years fluctuated between 2.2 to 2.8 with a descending tendency, 1995 was the lowest year with just 1.985. Since 1970’s the murder rate, is declining reports Statistics Canada. In 2005 the number of murders in Canada was 663 and 605 in 2006, a reduction in 58 murders; the national murder rate in Canada for 2006 was 1.85 homicides per 100,000 persons in contrast in 1970’s were around 3.0. Murder rates in Canada are generally about a third of those in the United States6 which used the death penalty. States such as Texas, Louisiana and Florida are some of the top executioners, but at the same time these are the states with most rate of murders8, other statistics show that in 1996 states with capital penalty had an average murder rate of 7.1 per 100,000 against 3.6 per 100,000 from those states without execution9.

Many people try to justify the Death punishment because is cheaper killing prisoners than keep them for life in a jail but the facts are different. Killing prisoners is more expensive. One of many studies said in California spends per execution about $250 millions, taxpayers could save more than $114 million year if the inmates were keep jailed for life, the same occur in other states where other studies were done7. The costs and times to execute a person en United States are becoming extremely higher, we can not justify to kill persons because this will be more economic but we can justify than keep them in prison for life is more economic.

Conclusion: In the world the movement to stop the executions committed by countries as a form to enforce justice is clear signal there is no room for this kind of punishment in a modern and civilianized society and Canada can not take a step behind reestablishing something that is against the basics human rights and proclaimed in his own law. The death penalty fails stop criminality and promotes just more violence, hate, and more pain to the society. The death penalty legitimizes an irreversible act of violence by the state3, for Canada must be an example of development of human rights and never allow to premeditated kill, killers to show killing is bad.

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGACT500012000?open&of=ENG-392
http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/pblct/rights/50yrs/50yrs-08_e.shtml
http://www.amnesty.ca/deathpenalty/canada.php
http://canadaonline.about.com/od/crime/a/abolitioncappun.htm
http://www.deathpenalty.org/index.php?pid=cost&menu=1%22
http://www-tech.mit.edu/V113/N53/morrison.53o.html
http://www.religioustolerance.org/execut4.htm

wow.
japan deals capital punishment in an extremely discreet way.
i mean, isn't capital punishment suppose to scared future criminals? but chances are.. they won't even know who got hanged..

The question is, if you got that sentence, would you rather live for the rest of your life in a small cramped cell, being raped, fed terrible food and be abused for years, or would you rather die? :/

Seems like far worse punishment to have to live out your life in prison than to just die.

Plus, in most countries, people spend years awaiting execution cost just as much money ot the government. Sometimes they even die before they're executed. It all seems pointless and inhumane to kill people. It's like giving the government power over life.

Interesting question.

Here in the US, it's actually had a study done showing that it costs tax payers more money to put a criminal to DEATH than it is to have them in prison for life. Yes, I didn't mistype anything there. I personally don't believe in death penalty regardless of the degree of the crime, I personally think it's worse to live out your life in fear and boredom for life in prison.

Putting someone to death I also feel like is "stepping" down to someone else's level.

Canada has no death penalty...however the way we deal with things aren't that great either like letting them have a 2nd chance after 20 years or so and then have them go back in jail for doing the same thing again. [Has happened before]

If someone killed one of my loved ones? I'd rather have him 'rot' in prison than get out of it by death.

Kill 2 birds with one stone; make them work in a guarded factory for the rest of their lives, so they have to EARN their food by making something that can be sold to the public to earn money for their food, instead of paying for their food with taxes.

Well, once you start approving of it, it will just lead to a downward spiral of hate. Still, some crazy s.o.b's simply deserve it and I still don't get why life imprisonement is argued to cost less. But not informing the family until after the fact is cruel imo.

My father was unlawfully killed, and they didn't serve long, I even know where he lives, yet the death penalty and any sort of retribution from myself wouldn't be right. He has kids of his own now, and depriving them of a father would be just as cruel and I wouldn't wish that on them, better he live his life knowing what he did.

I am pretty sure that danny made this post because of the recent announcement of Miyazaki´s execution...

He had spend almost 20 years in prison and he was executed 2 days ago, some say the Akihabara incident of 2 weeks ago has something to do with it.

But in my opinion he never got the punishment he deserved, he was an otaku, and in prison where practically he could live for free he was able to read all the manga he wanted to...
Seriously what kind of "punishment" is to let him live exaclty the same way he used to live before his crimes, without the need to work?

I think Capital Punishment should be reserved for scum like him who really had no remorse of killing innocent people and in the case that he is the true killer without a shadow of a doubt.

For more info:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-06-17/otaku-murderer-tsutomu-miyazaki-executed-on-tuesday
http://web.archive.org/web/20070818192957/http://www.charlest.whipple.net/miyazaki.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsutomu_Miyazaki

Personally, I'll hang'em high. More and more times I look at prison videos of the United States, it feels like there are some (very few percentage, mind you) who want to go to prison. For some, it is better than the streets. I wish to deny them the pleasures of life if they decide to end someone else's illegally.

Kill them please...
Eniwey...
I'm always on Kira-Kami-SAMA side lol

I'm against capital punishment on principle. All arguments for it are seen to not stand up after logical examination. Seems execution only provides a brief feeling of vindication. Here's the paradox of capital punishment

Premise: Human judgment is fallible. Sooner or later or it may have already occurred, an innocent will be executed.

So if we execute that one innocent. Society as a whole are murderers and we all need to go.

Does anybody know who they executed? Tsutomu Miyazaki. Murdered four little girls aged between 4 to 7 between 1988 and 1989. Sexually molested their corpses. Drank the blood and ate the flesh of his victim. Sent tormenting letters and phone calls to their stricken families.

Tell me a scum like that deserves to live out his life peacefully. Tell me a scum like that deserves to have the state provide him with food, medical care, books, morning exercises while thousands of others who have committed no crime go hungry, cold and homeless.

capital punishment doesn't solve the problem of crime being committed. the USA is your most closest example of a western country that has capital punishment and it doesn't lover crime at all in fact its rising.
the idea of prison is to correct the problem. thats why its called a Correction Facility. yet instead of solving the problem and even find the source of the problem, they just kill the guilty party and say ''problem solved''. and there is the paradox of who are we to judge who lives and who dies? thats is playing God and we are not Gods. when we execute the guilty we become nothing better then the one we are killing.
in other words if we cannot correct the guilty with psychiatric help, prison time or any other methods leave then in jail to rot. in there they are in no shape or form of being a threat to others.

since there's bound to be mistakes, there no point saying that capital punishment shld be abolished JUST becuz mistakes are made and innoncents are killed.

Anyways, since the world is overflowing with people now, i dun see the point of not killing a few extra pple, who can potential create more pple, which would make the world even more overflow.

i'm neither for or against capital punishment, but since there's no point keeping them here, and making them do manual jobs will take away the job slot for those normal pple, might as well kill them off.

sry for being harsh

u kill them just because u don't want ure money spent on them? I don't think u're better then them at all.

as for if my beloved one was killed by someone, of course I'd be in despair and definitely the word revenge will cross my mind but eventually those thoughts can't make the situation get any better(revive/life/phoenix down my beloved)

An interesting conversation so far and its great that no arguments have broken out.

Well, here in England, we have a pretty big crisis at hand at that is overcrowding of prisons. Prisons are springing up all over the place but it isn't relieving the situation, would it not just be easier to reinstate the death penalty to get rid of all of those that would ordinarily just be in the prison for life (and there are a lot...)? I'm not saying that I'm necessarily 'For' the death penalty, I don't know, I guess I'm just thinking out loud here.

Btw I'm one of those people that thinks in absolutes... I'd probably make a good Kira Lol =S

A heavy subject to discuss.
Capital punishment is supposed to make other criminals stop, but everything doesn't go the way we want it to, in fact we can still read the newspaper and find articles about crimes everyday.
Actually i myself am not sure about things like this. But to me, death is just too simple for them to atone for what they had done.

I would prefer to describe capital punishment to be a form of deterrent. If that is not in place, people will test the judicatory system again and again. I believe that most people rank their lives as the most valuable asset in his/her possession.

I thought that lethal injection was most humane as compared to hanging which still look rather brutal although its a snap of the neck.

Capital punishment is difficult. The family members of the victim what justice, but killing the murderer or killer will not give them the justice they want. To be given death is like another way out, and life in prison dose not make much of a punishment. These criminals should be punished to the extend of their crime. I do not mean torture, but some kind of punishment that will give the family members of the victim some kind of closure.

Kawaii!! Love Raito-kun!!!

If someone has lost the will to live then capital punishment is no deterrent for him/her. I think lifelong imprisionment is better, that way you feel the consequences for a long-long time and have a chance ro repent for what you have done. Punishment should make people change the way they think, not erase them.

Huh, they still hang people. I guess it's cheaper than electrocution and lethal injection.
I don't like capital punishment myself. I don't think any person has the right to take away someone else's life...for any reason. Anyway, since people are still running around committing murder and what-not, the death penalty clearly isn't much of a deterrent. The sort of people who commit murder aren't always mentally sound, so I doubt they're thinking "Oh, if I do this, I might go to jail and be executed."

im actually a Kira at heart i was so obesssed with death note (still am) im still hoping for a book that will rid the world of people like osama bin laden and that guy in akiba (his reason for the murders were stupid) but i thikn anyone that gets away with killing or any bad crime such as tax evasion or mass murder should be killed im more for the heart attack approach but i guess hanging will have to do ...

You know, there is a solution to the cost of execution, as well as letting people feel good about themselves: Have one of the murderers be the executioner. Sure, he never gets to get out of prison, but he gets to do lots of free killings.
Also, change the law so the appeal in a death penalty case is NOT automatic.

One interesting thing is that in Japan, everyone who is considered Japanese (i.e. is of Japanese blood) is never considered to be anything but Japanese, and thus there's no issue of racism within capital punishment. It's no t like Japan is putting the gaijin or the Koreans or the Ainu to death at a higher rate than Japanese, in other words -- I imagine japan is EXTREMELY careful with any serious crime involving a non-Japanese for these reasons. On the flipside, Japanese police are maniacal that every crime must be admitted to by the perpetrator, and their efforts to force these confessions are very sad since some weak-minded innocents say whatever is needed to get out of that room. I remember a guy who got blamed for the sarin gas attack in Matsumoto because he happened to have a little chemical knowledge, when it turned out to be the Aum cult. Poor guy got no satisfaction, either.

i know somebody already post this by my countrymen but, actually ending a person's life should be a punishment for those criminals who are very dangerous to be kept alive. if they live long enough in prison, they might cause a riot and probably initiate a jailbreak....besides for those who are torned, justice shall serve it's rightful judgement.

I find that death isn't a good punishment. Midevil torture is the way to go...

"I dont want to pay tax just to keep criminals alive." Some prisons have xbox 360's, playstation 3's, cable television etc and some honest hard working people can't even afford stuff like that. People claim the death penalty is inhumane and that letting them live with the guilt is better. But that seems hardly humane in itself.

i vote for death sentences~

but then again, there's loophole in law..so even a criminal can escape before going into a prison..

eniwei..after reading all (well most) of the comments...i still think death sentences is good enough for some cases~ there are so called unintentional murder, druggies, and some others that i cant think atm that are somewhat forgivable to go to under some other sentences.

law enforcement in my country is so low (except for drug trafficking) until it makes the community itself bring hard cold justice(death) to any person criminals or not yet proven guilty even for minor crimes...so yeah..i dont really have trust to the police since most of them are corrupted anyway..its just a cycle that leads chaos..ahh i rambling of different thing = _ =

but still...yes for death sentences

live imprisonment,and fine of all their money,that way,no1 wanna commit crimes

oh,and super harsh conditions,like....sleeping on spikes...
basically torture...

I support Death sentence.....because although serving the death penalty make citizens un-happy....it makes me happy....because it can reduce at least 1 inferior human in the world...

Hold up...Did i notice that Japan doesn't support death penalty? Or is it me?
In my POV, Spain got rid of Death Penalty when the 19th Century was shutting off. Puerto Rico got rid of it in 1928, and i'm considering it re-approving it(Whether the citizens like it or not) once the island passes to Chinese rule

And i forgot. On North Korea, there is a dangerously risky procedure on which the executee is wrapped on nuclear explosives, and when it ticks noon, those nukes are set off.

The worst thing is, the nukes, once exploded, it destroys not just the executee, but the staff and the facility also, and everyone within the blast radius.

That's the reason why the United Nations Organisation wants to declare war against North Korea