Japan executes first foreigner in years

Japan on Thursday executed a 40-year-old Chinese man convicted of murdering a family of four.

The justice ministry said it is the country’s first execution of a foreigner since the disclosure of details on sentences carried out began in 2007.

The man, Wei Wei, had committed the murders in mid-2003 with two accomplices who were also Chinese nationals,.

The other two fled to China and were arrested there.

One was executed in China in 2005 and the other received a life sentence.

Japan is one of the seven advanced nations to retain the death and an overwhelming majority of the public favors it.

Prisoners are hanged in Japan, and the condemned are not told when their execution will take place until the morning of the day the sentence is carried out.

Today’s execution was the 39th since prime minister Shinzo Abe returned to power in 2012.