Japanese man gets death penalty for two knife murders

A Japanese man was sentenced to death for stabbing to death two people, including a 24 year old Chinese exchange student.

A Japanese man was sentenced to death on Friday for stabbing to death two people, including a 24 year old Chinese exchange student, a court official said.

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Ryoji Kagayama, 59, was convicted for the murder of the female Chinese student in 2000 and a 30 year old company employee last year, both in the central city of Osaka.

"He stole lives just for a little entertainment, and there is no room to consider extenuating circumstances," prosecutors told Osaka district court, according to media reports.

Japan, with one of the world's lowest crime rates, is the only major industrial nation besides the US to use the death penalty, which has wide public support despite international criticism.

Last month Japan executed four convicted murderers.

In 2008 Japan executed 15 people, the highest annual total since 1975 when 17 convicts were put to death.