Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has dismissed Japanese Justice Minister Hanashi Yasuhiro over controversial comments about the death penalty 

And Japanese broadcaster NHK reported today, Friday, that Hanashi made statements last Wednesday during a meeting in which he said that he occupies a job far from the limelight and does not make headlines except when he approves the executions, prompting criticism from opposition lawmakers who demanded Immediately step down.


On Thursday, Hanashi apologized for his comments and retracted them.