Japan Society for the Promotion of Science:Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
Date (from‐to) : 2011/04 -2016/03
Author : KAWAI Mikio; KUZUNO Hiroyuki; KINOSHITA Manako; HIRAYAMA Mari; KUBO Hideo; KIMURA Masato
We made some opinion surveys, one of which is held all over the Japan in 2014 collecting about 1500 answers from 2500 samples, for find what recognition can change Japanese people’s opinion about penal punishment?
In Japan, supporter of capital punishment has been large majority. Furthermore, according to the opinion surveys carried out by Cabinet Office, Japanese People wants more and more severe punishment against crimes. However, they don’t know well real situation of crime or the practice of criminal justice. We found that as a person knowing well, he become tolerant for criminals. But this kind of knowledge cannot change so much their opinion. On the contrary, under the supposition to have some false accusation among inmates sentenced death penalty, 70% of Japanese people agree with stopping temporarily the execution. However, even in this condition, majority of them don’t admit abolishing death penalty.