In a country which is not known for capital punishment, the first three executions since September of 2012 took place on the 21st of February. Justice Minister Tanigaki. All three were convicted of murder—one of a girl, another of one man (he also injured several others), and the last of a bar owner for money. Other nations worry due to Japan's 99% conviction rate, largely based on confession.
The South Korean won, which used to be weaker than the yen, is now stronger as Abe's new policies to intentionally weaken the yen take hold and foreign investment picks up. Japanese officials predict this trend will continue as the yen approaches $0.01 in value. In-tandem with these new policies, Abe is playing it safe with diplomatic relations, doing nothing to provoke other nearby nations and lobbying allies for support.
In other news, a famous American resident of Japan, scholar Donald Richie, died in Tokyo on the 19th at 88 years old. "He spent most of the next 66 years in Tokyo, gaining a following among Western readers for textured descriptions of Japan and its people that transcended Western stereotypes," says NYT reporter Martin Fackler.
Sources:
- 22 Feb—Japan PM Shinzo Abe set for Washington talks with Obama
- 21 Feb—Japan hangs three death row inmates
- 21 Feb—Export Numbers Show Reversal of Positions of Yen and Won
- 18 Feb—For His Second Act, Japanese Premier Plays It Safe, With Early Results
- 19 Feb—Donald Richie, 88, American Expert on Japan, Is Dead
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