A high court on Thursday upheld a life prison term handed down on a woman for setting fire to four discount stores in Saitama in 2004, killing three people.

The Tokyo High Court dismissed an appeal filed by Noriko Watanabe, 50, against the sentence handed down on her by the Saitama District Court in March 2007.

The appeal court rejected the defense counsel's request that her prison term be reduced because she was suffering from slight dementia at the time of the incidents and cannot be held fully responsible for her crimes.

"The defendant can be held fully responsible for the crimes," Presiding Judge Toshio Nagai said as he handed down the ruling. "She committed the arson attacks to vent her frustration with not being able to meet her boyfriend. There is no room for leniency."

Watanabe set fire to seven locations at four outlets of the Don Quijote discount store in Saitama between Dec. 13 and 15, 2004, burning three employees to death, according to the ruling. She was also found guilty of stealing approximately 600,000 yen worth of goods from the four outlets.

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