My question is not aimed exclusively at the current culture of Japan as much as it is toward any culture.

Does the use of capital punishment in itself pose a significant statement about that culture?

There seems to be a suggestion in our world that putting a person to death for any reason is "uncivilized," in and of itself. Captital punishment exists today in few nations--my own being one of them. Many talking heads on the world forum suggest that the use of the death penalty makes a nation barbaric. Do we here on JREF share that opinion? Is there no act for which a human being should forfeit his life?

This sounds like a subject that should be eligible for a poll, if it has not been done before now.