October 10th is World Day against the Death Penalty. Japan still employs capital punishment. Although they don’t use it as often as other countries, the manner in which they carry out death sentences is rather shocking. Prisoners on death row are kept in solitary confinement, prevented from communicating with friends and family via visits or letters, and they often receive only a few hours notice before their execution is carried out.

So we learned at the small exhibit put on yesterday by the EU Mission to Japan, as part of a larger event lobbying the Japanese government on this issue.