This book examines public attitudes to the death penalty in Japan, focusing on knowledge and trust-based attitudinal factors relating to support for, and opposition to, the death penalty. A mixed-method approach was used. Quantitative and qualitative surveys were mounted to assess Japanese death penalty attitudes. The main findings show that death penalty attitudes are not fixed but fluid. Information has a significant impact on reducing support for the death penalty while retributive attitudes are associated with support. This book offers a new conceptual framework in understanding the death penalty without replying on the usual human rights approach, which can be widely applied not just to Japan but to other retentionist countries.

Publication in the field of social sciences Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext

Mai Sato completed her PhD at King's College London in 2011. She is currently a Research Fellow at the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, Birkbeck, University of London, and a Research Officer at the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford.

Inhalt
Vox populi, vox dei?.- Public attitudes towards death penalty.- The undecided public.- Effect of information on attitudes.- Changes in attitudes.- Policy implications.