Japan executes three inmates

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan on Thursday hanged three inmates, the justice ministry said, as the country steps up the pace of executions.

"The justice ministry today executed three criminals who had been sentenced to death," a spokeswoman said.

She declined to disclose any further details such as their names, in line with standard procedure in Japan.

Japan is the only major industrialised nation other than the United States to practice the death penalty.

The executions bring to 10 the number of inmates hanged since December, when Japan ended a 15-month halt in executions which was due to a previous justice minister's opposition to the death penalty.