[War] Japan: "Matters of Justice"

[Ian Martell]

"Matters of Justice"
Hideyoshi Mura, Director, PMO
Justice Minister Kabayama
Japan
7 August 2014
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Kabayama, Japan's justice Minister was study in contradictions, he was 
vigorous and healthy, who frequently joined the Prime Minister in his yearly 
climbs up Mt. Fuji, and was a friendly and well loved man in his district, 
yet he had in his relatively short time in office signed the death warrants 
of three men. The first was a Japanese-born Korean who had been caught 
passing classified documents to North Korean spies in 2003, the second was 
Yakuza boss Tetsuya Shiroo, who was sentenced to death in 2007 for the 
shooting death of Nagasaki's mayor, the third was Tomohiro Kato, responsible 
for the Akihabara Massacre in 2008. Behind his back, members of the Cabinet 
called him the Shi-san, or Mr. Death.

Still he was a good friend of the Prime Minister and now the likely natural 
son of the Prime Minister was on death row, there were things to discuss. 
Off stage at the press briefing room at the Kantei, Mura found the Minister 
waiting to address the assembled reporters.

"Quite a crowd," Kabayama commented as adjusted his and watched the monitors 
in what amounted to the green room for the press briefing room.

Mura nodded. "Yes, well this is big news now, I heard it was even in the 
Sun," he joked with a light smile.

Kabayama barked a laugh. "Yes, ridiculous paper, I wouldn't paper my bird's 
cage with it, might make him sick."

Mura gave him a polite laugh. "True."

"So what is it you want Mura-san?" he asked.

"Just to make sure you're not making a political mistake."

Kabayama snorted. "Thank you but I have my own advisors, this is big news, 
and you know this sort of press can make a name for me."

"Yes, but while I admire your ambition, making this a press event may paint 
yourself and this government as being willing to kill a man for political 
reasons."

"The man is guilty," Kabayama replied earnestly. "I've reviewed the case 
myself, he's guilty, his girlfriend says he's guilty, thirty people in the 
restaurant he killed the man in say he's guilty, and furthermore his prints 
were found on the weapon we recovered, so what is wrong with me announcing 
that I am going to sign off on his execution."
"Because he is likely the illegitimate son of your friend and mentor, one 
whose existence is causing him no end of trouble, that's not so much an 
execution as an assassination."

Kabayama chewed on it a moment.

"What do you really want Kabayama-kun?" asked Mura.

Kabayama smiled. "I want in the room on the big decisions, right now it's 
all Jonouchi and Inukai, I'm in his faction and he has Yoshida reporting to 
Defence, Koancho is under my department."

Mura nodded. "I'll see you get in the room," he promised.

"Good," Kabayama said.

"So what are you going to tell these people?" he asked nodding to the screen 
displaying the reporters.

"That I am going to stand aside this time, let my Deputy make the call, 
Jonouchi picked him for the post, he hasn't more than a few photo ops with 
Shunichi."

Mura breathed a little easier, even though he knew he was just played.

"Good," Mura said with an honest to goodness smile.

An aide stuck her head in to give the Minister the word it was time to speak 
and Kabayama bowed to Mura. "Sit Shunichi down about Akemi would you?" he 
said lightly. "We're all going to get burned if she stays."

Mura snorted. So Yoshida wasn't reporting to just defence. "When he gets 
back, he's in a mood."

"When is he not these days?" replied Kabayama and he left to tell the world 
that he was going to stand aside and let someone else make the hard call 
this time.

Mura frowned. It was true, Sato had been in a bad mood for a while now, he 
would talk to him about that too when he got back. For now he watched the 
Minister of Justice address the press with well rehearsed Osaka openness.

Actions:

1>	The Minister of Justice, a personal friend of the PM and the PM's 
appointee, will defer to his Deputy when making the final call on sentencing 
Sato's illegitimate son to death.
2>	Various character development stuff.
3>	FYI: The first person condemned by Kadayama was made up, the other two 
Kato and Shiroo are real cases that happened in the last year or so.