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NEWS FROM JAPAN Two convicted murderers were hanged on 1,December, juridical sources said, the first executions since those of four men in November 1993. They were also the first executions carried out under the administration of Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayanma, who assumed the premiership in June. Kazumi Sasaki, 66,was executed at a prison in Sendai,the sources said. Sasaki was given the death penalty in 1985. Though his lawyer appealed through the courts, Sasaki himself withdrew the appeal. Sasaki was convicted of stabbing to death the owner of a Japanese-style inn and a company employee in Aomori Prefecture in September 1984. The other murderer, Yukio Ajima, 44, was executed at a Tokyo prison, the sources said. He was sentenced to die in 1978, and the Supreme Court upheld that decision in 1985. Ajima was found guilty of stabbing to death his fiancee, her sister and aunt in Gumma Prefecture in April 1977 after the woman's parents and others opposed their marriage. Executions in Japan are carried out hanging. Juridical authorities have not pfficially announced the two executions. Seven men were executed last year-the four in November and three men in March. Justice Minister Isao Maeda, a Liberal-Democratic Party parliamentalian, said in his inaugural press conference in June that he intended to deal with the capital punishment issue carefully and fairly on the basis of the law, respecting the judgement of the courts. After news of the executions came out 1.December, Prime Minister Murayama told reports that "the justice minister is the proper person to handle" the execution issue. Some politicians and human rights groups have strongly urged that capital punishment be abolished in Japan. A nonpartisan league of more that 100 Diet members opposing the death penalty petitioned Murayama in early November to suspend the execution of criminals on death row. According to one citizens group, there are 59 inmates on death row in Japan. A government survey released last week showed that almost three out of four pollees supported capital punishment, while only 13.8 percent thougt it should be abolished. SOURCE-Mainich Daily News/3. dec. 1994