Japan Hangs 3 Men in First Execution Under PM Fumio Kishida

Japan's Prime Minister and ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader Fumio Kishida puts rosettes by successful general election candidates' names on a board at the party headquarters in Tokyo on Oct. 31, 2021. Behrouz Mehri, Pool via AP

Japan executed three men on Dec. 21, including a 65-year-old convict, in what’s believed to be the first executions carried out under the rule of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took office in October.

The executions were also deemed to be the first to take place in Japan since 2019.