Japan hangs three, discloses names and crimes

TOKYO - Japan hanged three death row inmates on Friday and for the first time revealed names and details of the crimes in a change of policy aimed at bolstering public support for capital punishment.

The Justice Ministry has previously announced only the number of people hanged, although domestic media would later reveal their identities.

Seiha Fujima and Hiroki Fukawa were hanged in Tokyo and Noboru Ikemoto was hanged in Osaka, the ministry said in a statement. All three were convicted of multiple murders, the ministry said.

"It was decided that more information disclosure was needed in order to gain public support," an official at the ministry said.

The official said the decision was made by Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama, who has come under fire after proposing death sentences should no longer require the signature of the minister to be carried out.

Japanese sentenced to death are not informed that their sentence is to be carried out until the day of the hanging.