Comments seen as disparaging the role the Japanese justice minister plays in authorising death row executions have cost the current holder of that position his job.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida fired Yasuhiro Hanashi on Friday for the remarks, which were seen to make light of the justice minister’s role in authorising executions.
It is the second recent resignation of a Cabinet minister.
“I have an undemanding job where I only get to the top of the mid-day news if I put my stamp on an execution warrant in the morning,” Hanashi was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
This was widely seen in Japan as a disparagement of his role in authorising the executions.
The sacking comes as a further blow to Kishida, whose poll ratings have plummeted following massive criticism of ties between members of his Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church, founded by the late Korean San Myung Mun.
Kishida had to dismiss Economic Revitalisation Minister Daishiro Yamagiwa last month due to the latter’s close ties to the Unification Church.
Because of the dismissal of his justice minister, Kishida had to postpone his scheduled departure for this weekend’s ASEAN summit in Cambodia, until Saturday night.
Japan is one of the few industrialised nations that still employs executions.
Human rights activists say they are especially appalled at the practice under which, once the justice minister signs off on execution, it can take place within hours.
They note that the detainees are often kept in inferior conditions for years, with no idea when they will be executed until they are hours from death.