Japanese True Crime

​The Carbine Rifle Gang Incident, which occurred in June 1954, stands as a significant example of post-war crime in Japan, reflecting the societal challenges during the nation's reconstruction period. This case involved a meticulously planned armed robbery and kidnapping, executed by a group of former military personnel.​On June 13, 1954, a group of armed individuals abducted a married couple, with the husband serving as the accounting section chief at the Maritime Safety Agency's Technical Research Institute. The assailants, wielding modified M1 carbines with shortened stocks for concealment, threatened the couple and confined them in the home of the gang leader's brother in Yotsuya, Shinjuku Ward. The following day, June 14, they coerced the accounting chief into issuing seven checks totaling 17.5 million yen. The gang successfully cashed approximately 950,000 yen at the Kawasaki branch of Yokohama Kogin Bank.​On June 16, the captors relocated the couple to a different hideout in Nishi-Ogikubo. While attempting to cash the remaining checks, the accounting chief managed to escape during a stop at a Nippon Express office in Yurakucho, where he sought help from a nearby police box. This led to the exposure of the crime. Based on the victims' testimonies and the modus operandi, the police identified K. O., a former member of the Maritime Safety Agency with a prior robbery conviction, as the prime suspect and issued a nationwide warrant for his arrest.​The investigation progressed rapidly. On June 22, K. O. and an accomplice were apprehended in Toyama City. Another accomplice was arrested on July 5 in a hotel in Asakusa, Tokyo. A fourth member, who had been with the recently arrested accomplice, surrendered to the Marunouchi Police Station shortly thereafter. K. O. had been on the run with his lover, a former Toei actress and runner-up in the Miss Ginza contest. They were eventually located on July 21 in a rented room at Sumiyoshiya in Yufuin Village, Oita Prefecture, near K. O.'s hometown. The carbine rifle used in the crime was discovered at Nobeoka Station, concealed within a futon bundle among railway luggage.​In addition to the robbery and kidnapping charges, K. O. was indicted for the murder of a former company president in Atami City. In June 1958, the Tokyo District Court sentenced him to death. However, upon appeal, the Tokyo High Court commuted his sentence to life imprisonment. K. O. eventually withdrew his final appeal and accepted the life sentence. After serving 25 years, he was granted parole in 1978.​Following his release, K. O. authored several books under his real name. In 1980, he published "Farewell, My Friends: True Stories of Notorious Death Row Inmates," detailing his experiences with fellow inmates during his incarceration. This work was later adapted into a film. In 1983, he released a two-volume autobiography titled "The Road to the Gallows," offering a personal account of his life and crimes.​The Carbine Rifle Gang Incident left a significant mark on Japanese society, highlighting the challenges of post-war reconstruction and the complexities of criminal rehabilitation. It also inspired cinematic portrayals, such as the semi-documentary film "The Terror of the Carbine Rifle," released shortly after the incident, and "Farewell, My Friends," which depicted K. O.'s life and interactions with other death row inmates.https://bit.ly/4jqxNhWCC BY-SA 4.0

The Bar Mecca Murder Case, which occurred in July 1953 in Tokyo's Shimbashi district, became emblematic of postwar "après-guerre" crimes, reflecting the moral decline among Japan's youth following World War II. On July 27, 1953, patrons at Bar Mecca noticed blood dripping from the ceiling. Upon investigation, the bludgeoned body of a 40-year-old securities broker was discovered in the attic, with ¥410,000 missing from his belongings. The primary suspect, 24-year-old Akira Shoda, a former securities company employee, was identified alongside two accomplices: a 20-year-old bar employee and a 22-year-old associate. Shoda was apprehended in Kyoto on October 12, 1953, after a nationwide manhunt. He confessed to the crime, citing financial desperation due to misappropriated funds from unauthorized stock sales. In 1956, the Tokyo District Court sentenced Shoda to death, the bar employee to 10 years in prison, and the associate to 5 years. Shoda appealed the verdict, but the Tokyo High Court rejected the appeal in 1960, and the Supreme Court upheld the decision in 1963. Shoda was executed on December 9, 1969, at the age of 40. Shoda, a Keio University graduate, was portrayed by the media as a symbol of the declining moral standards among the educated youth. His indulgence in nightlife and substance abuse highlighted the societal issues of the time. During his incarceration, Shoda took up writing novels, but his lack of remorse and failure to apologize to the victim's family influenced the severity of his sentence.https://bit.ly/4juykPVCC BY-SA 4.0

Akito Shima (real name Satoru Nakamura, 1934-1967) was a Japanese man executed for committing robbery and murder in Niigata Prefecture. Born into hardship, marked by his father's post-war purge, his mother's death from illness and malnutrition, and his own chronic health problems including tuberculosis and Pott's disease, Shima had a difficult youth involving poor academic performance and juvenile delinquency.His early adulthood included time in a reformatory, further imprisonment for arson (committed seemingly to gain shelter), and a diagnosis of "hysterical personality disorder" followed by psychiatric hospitalization. In 1959, while homeless and starving, he broke into a farmhouse. When discovered, he tied up the family of four, stole money and goods, seriously injured the husband, and murdered the wife.Sentenced to death in 1960, his appeals were rejected, and the sentence was confirmed in 1962. During his seven years on death row leading up to his execution in 1967, Shima became a noted tanka poet, writing prolifically about his experiences and even winning the prestigious Mainichi Kadan Award in 1963. He remains known for this stark contrast between his violent crime and his later artistic expression.https://bit.ly/4jvdUpUCC BY-SA 4.0

The Paris Cannibal Case refers to a gruesome murder that occurred on June 11, 1981, in France. The perpetrator was Issei Sagawa, a 32-year-old Japanese exchange student who killed, sexually violated, and cannibalized a 25-year-old Dutch female student who was his friend.On that day, Sagawa invited the Dutch woman to his apartment in Paris where he shot her from behind with a carbine rifle. After her death, he removed her clothing and engaged in necrophilia. He then partially consumed her flesh raw, dismembered her body, photographed it, and cooked portions of her remains in a frying pan before eating them.Two days later, on June 13, Sagawa attempted to dispose of the remaining body parts by placing them in a suitcase and trying to dump them in a pond in the Boulogne Forest. Witnesses observed this suspicious activity, causing him to flee. These witnesses discovered human remains in the suitcase and contacted police, leading to Sagawa's arrest two days after his attempted disposal.Prior to this incident, Sagawa had attacked a German woman in Japan with cannibalistic intent and was arrested. However, the charges were dropped after his father paid a settlement to the victim. Sagawa himself claimed that his cannibalistic urges began in childhood.In the French legal proceedings, Sagawa confessed to the crime but was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He was deemed to have been in a state of diminished mental capacity during the murder and was committed to a psychiatric institution in France rather than being prosecuted. The following year, he returned to Japan and spent one year at Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital.Interestingly, the Japanese medical assessment contradicted the French diagnosis. Japanese doctors concluded that Sagawa did not actually have cannibalistic tendencies and had deceived French authorities. Dr. Kaneko, then vice-director of the hospital, determined that Sagawa suffered from a personality disorder rather than a mental illness and should have been held criminally responsible. He suggested that French medical professionals might have misdiagnosed an intestinal inflammation that Sagawa had at age one as encephalitis, leading to their incorrect assessment.Japanese police shared this view and planned to arrest Sagawa for a new trial. However, these efforts were thwarted when French authorities refused to share their investigation materials related to a case that had been dismissed.This case highlights significant differences between French and Japanese approaches to criminal psychology and legal proceedings, raising important questions about cross-border justice and the assessment of mental illness in criminal cases.https://bit.ly/44boOwXCC BY-SA 4.0

The Fukuoka Serial Robbery-Murder Case of 1951 involved two individuals: Sōkichi Furuya, 37, and his accomplice, Noboru Sakamoto, 19. Sakamoto, originally from Manchuria, faced significant hardships after World War II, including the loss of his parents and the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings. In his quest for employment to support his family, he encountered Furuya in Fukuoka. Furuya offered assistance in finding work, but instead, they conspired to commit robberies.​On May 15, 1951, they targeted a 40-year-old man known to Furuya for having some savings. Furuya lured the victim under the pretense of a police investigation, leading him to a barley field near Hakata Station. When the victim attempted to escape, Sakamoto strangled him with a scarf, and Furuya followed with a waist cord, resulting in the man's death. They stole 8,600 yen from the victim.​Three weeks later, on June 3, in Yahata City (now Kitakyushu), they broke into a 70-year-old man's home intending to steal. Upon the homeowner's return, a struggle ensued. Sakamoto and Furuya strangled the man, killing him, and stole 250 yen, clothing, a watch, and rice.​Both crime scenes were in secluded areas, lacking witnesses or physical evidence. Eventually, both perpetrators were apprehended. Sakamoto received the death penalty and was executed in 1953. Furuya was sentenced to 10 years in prison but later committed additional murders after his release.https://bit.ly/4jbtbwyCC BY-SA 4.0

​The Kobe child murders, also known as the Sakakibara Seito case, were a series of shocking crimes committed by a 14-year-old junior high school student in Suma Ward, Kobe, Japan, between February and May 1997. The perpetrator, referred to as "Boy A" due to Japanese juvenile law, attacked five elementary school children aged 9 to 12, resulting in two fatalities and injuries to three others.​On May 27, 1997, the decapitated head of 11-year-old Jun Hase was found at the gate of Tomogaoka Junior High School, accompanied by a note signed "Sakakibara Seito." This gruesome discovery led to widespread media coverage and public outcry. Subsequent investigations, including analysis of handwriting and the content of letters sent to the media, led authorities to suspect Boy A. He was apprehended on June 28, 1997, and confessed to the crimes.​Following his arrest, Boy A was sent to a medical juvenile reformatory. After approximately six years and nine months of rehabilitation, he was released on a provisional basis in March 2004, with officials stating that he no longer posed a threat to society. In 2015, under the pseudonym "Former Boy A," he published a memoir titled "Zekka," detailing his psychological state before and after the crimes, which sparked controversy and criticism from the public and victims' families.​The case had significant legal and societal impacts in Japan. It prompted discussions on juvenile crime and led to amendments in the Juvenile Law, lowering the age at which minors could be tried as adults from 16 to 14. Additionally, in 2022, it was revealed that the Kobe Family Court had destroyed all records related to the case in 2011 after the expiration of the storage period, raising concerns about the preservation of important legal documents.https://bit.ly/3EmMio2CC BY-SA 4.0

The Ōokayama–Senju Serial Murders refer to two connected family homicide cases that occurred in Tokyo during the 1920s. On September 5, 1925, in Ōokayama (present-day Meguro, Tokyo), three people — a woman named A (23), her husband ST (25), and their adopted daughter F (29) — were found dead in actress Utako Nakayama's residence. Initially believed to be a group suicide, autopsies revealed all were strangled. Evidence pointed to robbery, as valuables including a bankbook and wallet were missing, and 520 yen had been withdrawn using the stolen bankbook.A year later, in September 1926, a man named T filed a fraud report but acted suspiciously when questioned further. Under pressure, he confessed to multiple frauds and later unexpectedly admitted to the Ōokayama murders. However, he died of tuberculosis in 1928 while in custody. Investigations later proved he was not responsible and may have confessed to hide involvement in a different unsolved crime — the 1922 Kirigaya family murders.On August 21, 1928, in Senju (now part of Adachi, Tokyo), two more victims — a woman M (43) and a maid WK (16) — were found strangled at a soy sauce shop owned by YK (50). The case led to the arrest of Tetsuo Gomi, a driver in debt to YK, and his accomplice, Fujita Tanaka. Gomi confessed to murdering YK, then killing M and WK to eliminate witnesses. Later, under further investigation, Gomi admitted to also committing the 1925 Ōokayama murders with Tanaka. Police found stolen items from the earlier crime in their possession.In court, Gomi declared he felt no remorse and believed murder was his life’s purpose. He insulted T, the wrongly accused man, calling him a “stupid fool.” In April 1931, both men were sentenced to death. Tanaka appealed, claiming he was coerced, but the appeal was denied. Both Gomi and Tanaka were executed on March 7, 1933.These murders shocked Japan, revealing investigative failures and exposing a chilling, multi-year killing spree committed by the same pair.https://bit.ly/4lnWayNCC BY-SA 4.0

The Hotel Nihonkaku Murder Case, uncovered in 1961, involved a series of calculated killings orchestrated by K, a woman driven by ambition to own a hot spring inn. In 1958, K learned that Hotel Nihonkaku in Shiobara Onsen, Tochigi Prefecture, was facing financial difficulties and might be auctioned. Aspiring to run her own inn, she approached the hotel's owner but was initially rejected. Later that year, the owner proposed that if K provided a severance payment of 500,000 yen to his current wife, he would divorce her and marry K, making her a co-owner of the inn. K negotiated the amount down to 300,000 yen, but the owner's wife refused the divorce, deeming the amount insufficient. Consequently, K and the owner conspired to murder his wife. On February 8, 1960, they hired O, a handyman, to carry out the killing. The wife's body was buried beneath the earthen floor of the hotel and reported missing.​After marrying the owner, K invested 2 million yen of her savings into expanding the inn. However, she discovered that the owner had not transferred the property's title to her and that the inn was heavily in debt, nearing auction. Feeling betrayed, K persuaded O to help her murder the owner, promising they would run the hotel together. On December 31, 1960, O strangled the owner, and K fatally stabbed him. His body was concealed beneath the hotel's floor.​Suspicion arose when both the owner and his wife were reported missing. On February 19, 1961, police arrested K and O. O confessed immediately, while K admitted her involvement after three days. Subsequent investigations uncovered the buried bodies. Additionally, a tip led authorities to question K about her previous husband's death nine years earlier, which she confessed to, revealing she had poisoned him with cyanide.​In August 1963, the Utsunomiya District Court sentenced K to death and O to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court upheld these sentences in July 1966. On June 11, 1970, K was executed, becoming the first woman executed in Japan after World War II.​K's life story, marked by poverty, ambition, and manipulation, has been the subject of various books and films, reflecting on the complexities of her character and the societal factors influencing her actions.https://bit.ly/42rllYtCC BY-SA 4.0

​Kuroda Koichi, born in Kakishima Village as the second son of village council member Kuroda Tanezaburo, was a bright student whose academic aspirations were curtailed due to family financial difficulties. He began working as a servant at the village office and later, in 1909, moved to Korea with a school principal, taking up various jobs, including laborer and transport worker. His association with the Kimura Group led him to the right-wing organization Shichisei Gidan, where he was involved in distributing their newspaper.​In 1929, following the forced passage of the Peace Preservation Law amendment, Kuroda targeted Yamamoto Senji, a Labor-Farmer Party member who opposed the law. Kuroda accused Yamamoto of being a communist and disrespectful to the emperor, demanding his resignation and suicide. When Yamamoto refused, Kuroda fatally stabbed him at the Kōeikan inn.​Kuroda surrendered immediately, claiming self-defense and denying any affiliation with Shichisei Gidan. However, the group's newspaper had previously criticized Yamamoto and others, suggesting a broader conspiracy. While some police officials appeared sympathetic to Kuroda, prosecutors pursued murder charges, resulting in a 12-year prison sentence. He was released after six years, an unusually lenient outcome.​Post-release, Kuroda worked in Korea and Manchuria before returning to Japan after World War II. He lived a modest life, rarely speaking of his past. Later accounts suggest he believed he was promised rewards for assassinating Yamamoto but was abandoned by those who encouraged him. Some researchers speculate that a high-ranking official, possibly Ryūjirō Ōkubo, was the mastermind behind the assassination. Kuroda eventually died in a psychiatric hospital.https://bit.ly/4j6AchWCC BY-SA 4.0

The Shibuya Station Shooting Incident occurred on June 23, 2004, when Tokuhisa Kumagai shot a station employee at Tokyo Metro’s Shibuya Station during a robbery attempt. Prior to this, he had committed several violent crimes, including arson at Tokyo Station and the fatal shooting of a Chinese restaurant owner in Yokohama. Kumagai, with a long history of criminal behavior dating back to his youth, was arrested on June 26, 2004. In 2011, the Supreme Court upheld a death sentence for him, emphasizing the planned nature and danger of his crimes, despite there being only one murder victim—an exceptional decision under Japanese law. Kumagai was executed in 2013. Born in 1940 (or 1938 under another identity), he had a troubled upbringing as a war orphan, eventually turning to crime. His criminal record included theft, gambling, assault, and armed robbery. His later offenses were driven by financial desperation to start a business.https://bit.ly/4j4uTjdCC BY-SA 4.0

​In December 1980, in Nagoya, Japan, 22-year-old university student A was abducted and murdered by 30-year-old sushi shop employee Shuji Kimura. Kimura lured A under the pretense of an English tutoring job, then kidnapped and strangled her. He disposed of her body by throwing it into the Kiso River from the Kiso River Bridge on the Tōmei Hanshin Expressway. Subsequently, Kimura contacted A's family multiple times, demanding a ransom of 30 million yen. He was arrested in January 1981, convicted of kidnapping for ransom, murder, and corpse abandonment, and sentenced to death in 1987. Kimura was executed in December 1995. This case, the 106th ransom kidnapping in post-war Japan, garnered significant public attention due to the victim's status as a student at a prestigious local women's university and the extensive media coverage.https://bit.ly/42pd6fhCC BY-SA 4.0

​"Moraiko Satsujin," or "adopted child murder," was a historical practice in Japan where individuals accepted unwanted newborns under the guise of providing care but subsequently killed them after receiving compensation from the biological parents. This practice emerged due to societal stigmas against illegitimate births and economic hardships that made it difficult for families to raise additional children. The lack of legal avenues for abortion and minimal oversight allowed such acts to persist, often unnoticed, especially given the high infant mortality rates of the time. Similar practices, known as "baby farming," occurred in other countries, including Britain, Australia, and the United States. The decline of "Moraiko Satsujin" in Japan coincided with legal reforms, the legalization of abortion, improved social welfare systems, and stricter regulations on child adoption and welfare. These changes collectively contributed to the eradication of this tragic practice.https://bit.ly/3E3obLdCC BY-SA 4.0

​Shigeru Katsumi, born Seiya Tsumura on December 25, 1937, in Miyazaki City, Japan, was a prominent Japanese singer known for his contributions to the rockabilly and pop genres. He gained fame in the early 1960s with Japanese covers of popular Western songs, notably his 1961 debut with "Johnny Remember Me," which sold 40,000 copies. Katsumi also performed the theme song for the 1963 television anime "Eightman" and achieved significant success with his 1964 hit "Sasurai," selling 60,000 copies. ​Despite his musical achievements, Katsumi's career declined in the early 1970s. Facing financial difficulties and personal turmoil, he became involved in a scandal that culminated in the murder of his mistress in 1976. Subsequently, he was convicted and sentenced to prison. After serving his sentence, Katsumi lived a relatively quiet life until his death on February 27, 2013. https://bit.ly/4j2weH4CC BY-SA 4.0

Satoshi Uematsu, born in 1990, is a Japanese man sentenced to death for the 2016 mass murder at Tsukui Yamayuri Garden, a facility for disabled individuals in Sagamihara. A former employee, his motive was his belief that severely disabled, non-communicative people are a burden and that their euthanasia would bring world peace. He was convicted in 2020 and is on death row, having filed for a retrial in 2022.Raised near the facility, Uematsu showed early prejudice against disabled individuals. While academically capable and a basketball player in junior high, he also exhibited delinquent behavior and violence towards a disabled classmate. He transferred high schools and later graduated from Teikyo University with a teaching license but did not become a teacher. During university, he used drugs and associated with questionable groups. Before the incident, he lived alone after his parents moved.Uematsu worked at Tsukui Yamayuri Garden from 2012 to 2016. Initially positive about the job, his views shifted after feeling unappreciated for helping a resident. He developed behavioral issues at work and became involved with tattoos and potentially drugs, leading to his dismissal from a tattoo apprenticeship due to disturbing statements about killing disabled people. He was also involved in an assault incident in 2015.In February 2016, Uematsu wrote about his "New Japan Order" plan, including the murder of disabled individuals. He sent a threatening letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and another to Prime Minister Abe, outlining his attack plan on two facilities, aiming to kill 260 people. He demanded specific conditions upon arrest, including being declared innocent and financial support.Despite the House reporting the letter to the police, the Tsukui Yamayuri Garden was slow to react. Uematsu further expressed his harmful ideology to colleagues, leading to his compulsory psychiatric hospitalization in February 2016. Diagnosed with drug-induced psychosis and personality disorders, he was discharged within weeks. He received unemployment and welfare benefits, the latter fraudulently.Driven by a distorted sense of being targeted by the yakuza due to his pro-marijuana stance, Uematsu expedited his planned attack. He prepared by buying tools and on July 26, 2016, broke into Tsukui Yamayuri Garden, committing the mass murder. He tweeted a disturbing message before turning himself in. Post-arrest, he apologized to the victims' families but not the victims themselves, maintaining his prejudiced views. He tested positive for cannabis.In custody, Uematsu expressed a belief in his immunity and that society should agree with him, bizarrely citing the Kyoto Animation arson as horrific. He consistently dehumanized disabled individuals in interviews, justifying his actions based on perceived societal burdens and citing influences like Donald Trump and ISIS. He later acknowledged his sanity but hoped for a lenient sentence, initially claiming his victims weren't human before finally offering a limited apology for the method of killing. While stating he deserved the death penalty but didn't want it, he ultimately did not intend to appeal his sentence.https://bit.ly/4jrPHkwCC BY-SA 4.0

​The Suzugamori Ohara Murder Incident, a wrongful conviction case from the Taisho era, occurred on April 30, 1915, at the former Suzugamori execution grounds. The victim's lover was arrested but later exonerated when the true perpetrator confessed.The Suzugamori Ohari Murder Case, which occurred on April 30, 1915, at the site of the former Suzugamori execution grounds in Tokyo, Japan, is a notable example of a wrongful conviction from the Taisho era. The victim, Ohari, was a 26-year-old woman employed at a sand bath inn adjacent to the Onigami Shrine. Her body was discovered on the shrine's premises, showing signs of strangulation and post-mortem mutilation.Initially, the police focused on K, one of Ohari's lovers, as the prime suspect. K, despite being married with children, had been involved with Ohari for several years. Their relationship recently ended after a dispute over a separation payment. Under intense interrogation, K confessed to the crime, detailing how a confrontation with Ohari led to her accidental death, followed by attempts to conceal the body. However, the investigation failed to find physical evidence, such as the alleged murder weapon, and K's account had inconsistencies.The case took a dramatic turn when Ishii Toji, a 44-year-old man with prior convictions, confessed to the murder while in custody for another crime. Ishii claimed that he encountered Ohari alone at night, attempted to assault her, and, when she resisted, strangled her. To mislead the investigation, he claimed to have staged the scene to suggest a crime of passion. His detailed knowledge of the crime scene and the discovery of a woman's wallet matching Ohari's personal items lent credibility to his confession. Consequently, K was released, and Ishii was charged with the murder.During the trial, Ishii admitted his guilt and even requested the death penalty, expressing remorse for his actions. Initially, the Tokyo District Court acquitted him due to insufficient evidence, a decision that surprised both the prosecution and defense. Both parties appealed, and in March 1918, the Tokyo High Court convicted Ishii, sentencing him to death. He was executed on August 17, 1918.This case highlights the complexities of criminal investigations and the potential for miscarriages of justice. It underscores the importance of corroborating confessions with physical evidence and ensuring that legal proceedings uphold the principles of fairness and accuracy.https://bit.ly/4lrwr8ECC BY-SA 4.0

Sada Abe (May 28, 1905 - death date unknown) gained notoriety in Japan for killing her lover and removing his genitals in May 1936, an incident that shocked the nation and became a cultural phenomenon.Born in Tokyo to a prosperous tatami shop owner, Sada was the youngest of eight children. She had developmental difficulties, unable to speak until age four, and later became known for her temperamental nature. As the much younger sibling in her family, she was indulged by her parents who prioritized her artistic education in shamisen and traditional music over academic studies.At age 15, Sada was sexually assaulted by a university student, an event that profoundly altered her path. Following this trauma, she became rebellious, eventually leading her family to sell her into the geisha profession at 17. Working under various names including "Miyako," she moved between establishments in Yokohama and other cities.Sada later transitioned to prostitution, working in high-class brothels across Osaka, Hyogo, and Nagoya. In 1930, she fled her final brothel, abandoning substantial debt. After various relationships and jobs, in 1936, she began working at a restaurant in Tokyo where she started an affair with the married owner, Yoshizo Ishida.On May 18, 1936, at a teahouse in Tokyo, Sada strangled Ishida to death and severed his genitals, which she carried with her. She was arrested two days later, found wearing some of Ishida's clothing.The case captivated Japan. Psychological evaluation diagnosed her with sadism and fetishism but determined she was legally responsible. In December 1936, she received a six-year prison sentence. During her incarceration, she was transferred between multiple facilities due to her mental condition and the publicity surrounding her case. She reportedly received thousands of letters and marriage proposals while imprisoned.The "Sada Abe Incident" remains one of Japan's most infamous crimes of the early 20th century, inspiring numerous artistic works and continuing to fascinate cultural historians.https://bit.ly/4jpmGpECC BY-SA 4.0

Hirai Gonpachi (1655 – December 5, 1679) was a samurai from Tottori Prefecture, Japan, known for his tragic life and criminal activities. Born into a low-ranking samurai family, Gonpachi gained a reputation for his good looks, bravery, and swordsmanship. At the age of 16, he killed a fellow clansman during a dispute and fled to Edo (now Tokyo) to escape punishment.In Edo, Gonpachi encountered a 15-year-old beauty named Komurasaki, who was being held captive by a group of gangsters. After learning of a plot to kill him for his sword, Gonpachi killed the gang members and rescued Komurasaki, returning her to her family.However, Gonpachi's life took a darker turn as he became involved in criminal activities, including robbery and murder. He was eventually captured, found guilty, and sentenced to death. On December 5, 1679, Gonpachi was executed by beheading at the age of 25. The tragic love story of Gonpachi and Komurasaki has been romanticized in Japanese culture, inspiring various songs, plays, and prints. In these adaptations, Gonpachi's family name was often changed from Hirai to Shirai to avoid censorship. https://bit.ly/3FZDl4GCC BY-SA 4.0

This Wikipedia entry details the life and crimes of Kiyoshi Okubo, a Japanese serial killer who murdered eight women in 1971. It outlines his early life, including prior offenses of rape and robbery, leading up to the brief but horrific period of his consecutive murders. The article covers his arrest, confession obtained through psychological tactics, trial where he was uncooperative, and the eventual death sentence and execution. Furthermore, it discusses his personality, comparisons to other criminals, and adaptations of his case in media.https://bit.ly/4jfJt76CC BY-SA 4.0

The provided text, primarily excerpts from a Japanese Wikipedia page on the Norio Nagayama serial murders, details the series of four fatal shootings committed by the then-19-year-old Nagayama in 1968 across four Japanese prefectures. The entries meticulously recount the events of each crime, the subsequent investigation and arrest of Nagayama, and the protracted legal proceedings that followed. A significant portion of the text is dedicated to the criminal trial, spanning from the initial hearings through multiple appeals to the Supreme Court, ultimately resulting in a death sentence and its eventual execution. The overview also touches upon the motivations behind the crimes, the intense legal battles surrounding Nagayama's mental state and the applicability of the death penalty for a minor, and the lasting "Nagayama Standard" established for capital punishment decisions in Japan.https://bit.ly/4cj4go2CC BY-SA 4.0

Shoko Asahara: Cult Leader and TerroristShoko Asahara (born Chizuo Matsumoto, 1955-2018) founded the infamous Aum Shinrikyo cult. Despite partial blindness, he was ambitious, exploring religion after early business ventures and an arrest for selling unlicensed drugs. His charismatic leadership and apocalyptic teachings attracted followers, evolving into radical ideologies justifying violence to establish a new order.Under Asahara's control, Aum Shinrikyo committed horrific crimes, including the Sakamoto family murder (1989), the Matsumoto sarin attack (1994), and the deadly Tokyo subway sarin attack (1995). Arrested in 1995 as the mastermind, Asahara's trial was marked by erratic behavior. He was convicted and sentenced to death for multiple murders and terrorist acts.Increasingly unresponsive in detention, his death sentence was finalized in 2006, and he was executed in 2018. Asahara's rise and the atrocities committed by his cult serve as a stark warning about extremism and the dangers of unchecked authority, raising critical questions about religious freedom and the responsibility of cult leaders. His legacy remains a subject of intense debate.https://bit.ly/4jlVk3DCC BY-SA 4.0