Key insights

• ⚖️ Most developed countries have abolished the death penalty, but the US and Japan still use it.
• 🕰️ Japan's death penalty process is secretive and inmates can wait for decades before execution, receiving only a few hours' notice.
• 💬 Debate surrounds the process, including its impact on emotional stability, views on justice for victims, and the humane treatment of inmates.
• 🗾 Japan's death penalty is legal and supported by the public, while the US has a complex relationship with it due to its history of racial discrimination and enslavement.
• 🍂 The fall of authoritarian leaders led to the abolition of the death penalty in some countries, but Japan has retained it despite having a lower homicide rate.
• 🔍 In the US, unanimity is required for deciding guilt and in some states for the death penalty, while Japan requires a simple majority for the death penalty.
• ⛓️ A detailed description of the process of execution in different countries, focusing on the methods used and the roles of the officers involved.
• 💰 Officials in Japan receive payment for executions, a medical officer confirms death, and notifies families; the government keeps the names of those executed private.

Q&A

• What happens after an execution in Japan?

  Officials receive payment for executions, a medical officer confirms death and notifies families, and the government keeps the names of those executed private.

• What is the process of execution in different countries?

  The process includes details on execution methods such as lethal injection in the US and hanging in Japan, as well as the roles of the officers involved, highlighting the uncertainty and division of responsibility during the execution.

• What are the differences in the legal requirements for the death penalty in the US and Japan?

  In the US, unanimity is required for determining guilt or innocence in a criminal trial, and in some states, unanimity is also required for the death penalty. In Japan, a simple majority is needed for the death penalty, and the Justice Minister decides when the executions will take place with limited media coverage and unclear notification to family members and lawyers.

• Why has Japan retained the death penalty despite having a lower homicide rate?

  Despite the fall of authoritarian leaders leading to the abolition of the death penalty in some countries, Japan has retained it, sparking debate about the uniquely brutal approach and its comparison to the US, which has a higher number of inmates on death row and executions.

• What is the public opinion on the death penalty in Japan and the United States?

  In Japan, the death penalty is legal and supported by the public, while the United States has a complex relationship with the death penalty due to its history of racial discrimination and enslavement.

• What is the status of the death penalty in developed countries?

  Most developed countries have abolished the death penalty, but the United States and Japan still use it. Japan's process is secretive, with inmates waiting for decades and receiving short notice before execution, sparking debate about emotional stability, justice, and humane treatment.

• 00:01 Most developed countries have ended the death penalty, but the United States and Japan still practice it. Japan's death penalty process is secretive and inmates can wait for decades before execution, receiving only a few hours' notice. The process has sparked debate about emotional stability, justice, and humane treatment.
• 01:58 In Japan, the death penalty is still legal and supported by the public, while the United States has a complex relationship with the death penalty due to its history of racial discrimination and enslavement.
• 03:32 The fall of authoritarian leaders led to the abolition of the death penalty in some countries, but Japan has retained it despite having a lower homicide rate. Japan's approach to the death penalty is uniquely brutal compared to other countries, and the US has a higher number of inmates on death row and executions.
• 05:03 In the US, unanimity is required for guilt, and in Florida and Alabama, unanimity is also required for the death penalty. In Japan, a simple majority is needed for the death penalty. The Justice Minister decides when the death penalty will take place, and executions are carried out with limited media coverage and without clear notification to family members and lawyers.
• 06:41 A detailed description of the process of execution in different countries, focusing on the methods used and the roles of the officers involved.
• 08:16 Officials in Japan receive payment for executions, with a medical officer confirming death and notifying families. The government keeps the names of those executed private. 880,000 Hours offers a free career guide for those seeking a meaningful and fulfilling career.