The inhumane treatment of inmates who have been sentenced to death has come under increased scrutiny in Japan, with legal experts criticizing authorities for giving little to no warning of an impending execution and denying those on death row basic human contact.
Japan has no established regulations regarding how much warning an inmate on death row should be given before they are sent to the gallows, but anecdotal evidence shows they were informed the day before at least until the 1970s. Currently, inmates are notified just one or two hours before they are hanged.
Inmates’ contact with anyone other than prison guards is also heavily restricted, with interactions by writing or in person prohibited after rulings are finalized. Previously, inmates were permitted to see family members prior to their executions.
Japan criticized as treating death-row inmates ‘inhumanely’
American Buddhist Net 