November 11, 2022

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on November 10 at a press conference in the Diet building said that Justice Minister Hanashi Yasuhiro, who made a joke about his role in authorizing executions, should be removed without delay.

Hanashi on the previous day at a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker’s fundraising party remarked that the justice minister is a lackluster post in the Cabinet as the minister attracts public attention only when signing an order to execute a death penalty.

At the press conference, Koike pointed out that among justice minister’s duties, signing off on an execution order in particular carries a heavy responsibility. Nevertheless, Koike continued to point out, “Hanashi made a remark making light of this critical role at places for wining and dining like at a fundraising party and thus he is not qualified to be justice minister.”

Asked about the fact that Hanashi retracted his controversial remark, Koike said, “As I said, Hanashi is totally unqualified as the justice minister. If he is allowed to stay in office only because he withdrew the remark in question, it will bring about negative impacts to the ministry’s administration. He should be dismissed without delay.” Koike also said that Prime Minister Kishida’s responsibility for the nomination of Hanashi to be the justice minister must be called into question.

Earlier on the day at a House of Councilors Judicial Affairs Committee meeting, JCP Nihi Sohei grilled Hanashi about his controversial remark.

Nihi pointed out that Hanashi’s remark proved that he is not serious about the justice minister’s role in carrying out the death penalty, a state-sanctioned practice of killing a person, stating that Hanashi is totally unfit as the justice minister.