Japan - Miyazawa family of 4 murdered, Setagaya, Tokyo, 30 Dec 2000 #2

[Incoherent]

*He suggests that Rei endured "minimal suffering" which is infuriating.

Yeah that made me feel a bit sick, not gonna lie.

 

[Incoherent]

Here is a picture of the sweater of Mikio’s that was missing and is believed to have been worn by the killer after the murder.

Source

 

[Sor Juana]

A survey of monitoring tap water hardness in Japan and its distribution patterns

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

*Small point: the way he says "SetagaYA" is driving me crazy.

RSBM

This video sounds like one of the many on YouTube which probably use AI narration. It's very flat and emotionless, and quite unnatural sounding with a lot of odd pronunciations. You write your script, feed it into the AI software, and out pops the audio in whichever voice/accent/dialect you've chosen.

 

[Richardrli]

For my curiosity's sake, what are the date of births of the four victims?

 

[FacelessPodcast]

For my curiosity's sake, what are the date of births of the four victims?

I don’t recall off the top of my head, only that Mikio was 44, Yasuko 41, Niina 8, and Rei 6. I think the DOBs might well be in Thread 1.

 

[Richardrli]

I don’t recall off the top of my head, only that Mikio was 44, Yasuko 41, Niina 8, and Rei 6. I think the DOBs might well be in Thread 1.

Would this be the best source of information in Japanese for this crime? 負け犬の遠吠え

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Would this be the best source of information in Japanese for this crime? 負け犬の遠吠え

That’s Monazite’s blog, I interviewed him for FACELESS. That’s the podcast I did for Universal / USG, which if you have time for a long-form piece of media, I would humbly suggest is the most accurate thing out there. Monazite knows a great deal about the case but he’s very open to new theories and speculations which I’m a bit more squeamish about. Certainly, he’s asking a lot of good questions on his blog, though. Outside of that, the best article on this is ABC’s ‘A Killer Without a Face.’ Outside of that, unfortunately, you’re lucky if you’re not reading a whole heap of taurine faeces.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Friends, big news to report:

「世田谷一家殺害事件の解決を求める意見書」が可決 - ひえしま進（ヒエシマススム） ｜ 選挙ドットコム

世田谷区議会で３月27日、私ひえしまも提出者となった「『上祖師谷三丁目一家4人強盗殺人事件』の速やかな解決を目指した取り組みを求める意見書」が自民、公明、維新などの賛成多数で可決された。立憲、共産、生活者ネットなどが反対した。いわゆる「世田谷一家殺害事件」は、発生から23年が経過したものの、決め手となる手掛かりに乏しく未解決のままである。ご遺族の心中を思うと、胸が張り裂けそうだ。犯人逮捕を...

go2senkyo.com

Setagaya City Council has submitted a statement of opinion to the government pushing for the resolution of the case — including using DNA. The LDP and Komeito (the right) are for, the communist party and CDP (left and centre) are against it. Unlikely to happen any time soon, of course, according to Ryushi but still. So exciting. I’m happy for the Chief who has worked so hard for this.

 

[lilykaluva]

*He suggests that Rei endured "minimal suffering" which is infuriating.

That's nauseating, honestly.

Friends, big news to report:

「世田谷一家殺害事件の解決を求める意見書」が可決 - ひえしま進（ヒエシマススム） ｜ 選挙ドットコム

世田谷区議会で３月27日、私ひえしまも提出者となった「『上祖師谷三丁目一家4人強盗殺人事件』の速やかな解決を目指した取り組みを求める意見書」が自民、公明、維新などの賛成多数で可決された。立憲、共産、生活者ネットなどが反対した。いわゆる「世田谷一家殺害事件」は、発生から23年が経過したものの、決め手となる手掛かりに乏しく未解決のままである。ご遺族の心中を思うと、胸が張り裂けそうだ。犯人逮捕を...

go2senkyo.com

Setagaya City Council has submitted a statement of opinion to the government pushing for the resolution of the case — including using DNA. The LDP and Komeito (the right) are for, the communist party and CDP (left and centre) are against it. Unlikely to happen any time soon, of course, according to Ryushi but still. So exciting. I’m happy for the Chief who has worked so hard for this.

That's amazing!! Even if it takes a long time, it's a step and I'm so glad.

 

[Incoherent]

Friends, big news to report:

「世田谷一家殺害事件の解決を求める意見書」が可決 - ひえしま進（ヒエシマススム） ｜ 選挙ドットコム

世田谷区議会で３月27日、私ひえしまも提出者となった「『上祖師谷三丁目一家4人強盗殺人事件』の速やかな解決を目指した取り組みを求める意見書」が自民、公明、維新などの賛成多数で可決された。立憲、共産、生活者ネットなどが反対した。いわゆる「世田谷一家殺害事件」は、発生から23年が経過したものの、決め手となる手掛かりに乏しく未解決のままである。ご遺族の心中を思うと、胸が張り裂けそうだ。犯人逮捕を...

go2senkyo.com

Setagaya City Council has submitted a statement of opinion to the government pushing for the resolution of the case — including using DNA. The LDP and Komeito (the right) are for, the communist party and CDP (left and centre) are against it. Unlikely to happen any time soon, of course, according to Ryushi but still. So exciting. I’m happy for the Chief who has worked so hard for this.

After 24 years this is the only way. I hope an agreement can come quickly as possible and a resolution for the sake of the family and all involved. Thanks for the update! Keeping an eye on this!

 

[FacelessPodcast]

After 24 years this is the only way. I hope an agreement can come quickly as possible and a resolution for the sake of the family and all involved. Thanks for the update! Keeping an eye on this!

Thank you, guys. Tonight, I am thinking of Setsuko and hoping that she feels that this is a tiny fragment of hope, however unlikely.

 

[vls12345]

Wow. Amazing news. Hopefully it will eventually lead to resolution.

 

[vls12345]

Here is a picture of the sweater of Mikio’s that was missing and is believed to have been worn by the killer after the murder.
View attachment 494912
Source

I wonder if the killer had a different shirt or jacket with him that he wore away from the scene & instead took Mikio's pullover as a "souvenir" like some killers do. (Plus, if the killer was bleeding, it would be more likely to show up on a light-colored pullover like this vs. a darker top.) Just a random thought that popped into my head.

 

[Incoherent]

I wonder if the killer had a different shirt or jacket with him that he wore away from the scene & instead took Mikio's pullover as a "souvenir" like some killers do. (Plus, if the killer was bleeding, it would be more likely to show up on a light-colored pullover like this vs. a darker top.) Just a random thought that popped into my head.

Maybe another shirt folded into his hip bag that he wore instead? Could be.

I think what a lot of people miss is just how soaked in blood he would have been. He kept his trousers on because he was around 175cm to Mikio’s 165cm, but I bet they were completely saturated in it even after a clean up attempt. The tennis shoes too.

It would be downright stupid to wear that bright sweater outside after the killing because it would surely get blood on it as well. If he took the trains I fail to see how he wasn’t noticed or on CCTV looking like that.

Unless he had a more immediate escape, like a car, where it didn’t matter as much.

 

[Charlot123]

Maybe another shirt folded into his hip bag that he wore instead? Could be.

I think what a lot of people miss is just how soaked in blood he would have been. He kept his trousers on because he was around 175cm to Mikio’s 165cm, but I bet they were completely saturated in it even after a clean up attempt. The tennis shoes too.

It would be downright stupid to wear that bright sweater outside after the killing because it would surely get blood on it as well. If he took the trains I fail to see how he wasn’t noticed or on CCTV looking like that.

Unless he had a more immediate escape, like a car, where it didn’t matter as much.

Is that possible that he stopped by someone's house, his friend's or girlfriend's one, somewhere close, on his way back? I am thinking that if a person stops by, washes, changes clothes, it is always possible to tell a story that sounds improbable, but is believed because in early morning of December 31, no one has discovered/made an announcement about the murders yet?
@FacelessPodcast, do you happen to know when the information about the murders became first officially available?

So I am trying to imagine. Let us say, a person you are in love with, or your good friend, stops at the house, with a wound on the hand, maybe bloodied, but he has explanation for it (fell, a dog attacked him, etc.) He is being helped, then takes off to his house, and the other person hears the news only, say, in the evening. It is really hard not to be in denial. And maybe, with time, the person realizes it was their friend who did it, but keeps silent out of fear (to be labeled the accomplice), shame (fear of being blamed) or out of love?

One wonders. The involvement of other people, no matter how unlikely, is not totally ruled out. Perhaps all that the other person did was giving the perpetrator a ride, or waiting for him?

What I want to say, is, maybe there is at least one person in Japan who still knows but is scared to spill the beans out of fear or shame? In such situations, in the US a potential witness would be offered protection. Are you aware whether the same been done in Japan re. all potential witnesses of the Setagaya murders?

 

[Sor Juana]

Here is a picture of the sweater of Mikio’s that was missing and is believed to have been worn by the killer after the murder.
View attachment 494912
Source

This is something that has left me quite perplexed. Why, out of all Mikio's clothes, did he choose this particular item with the word "LOVE" on it? It's something that would surely attract attention, and I imagine his family would question him about where he got it from. Why not pick something plain and dark? I would assume he also wore something as a first layer, like a t-shirt, otherwise, he would easily stain that eye-catching sweater. Considering it was a cold night outside, how did a lightly dressed teen manage to get to his destination?

I don't have a theory on the most likely route of escape. It's not impossible that he took a train, imho, but then it means he had nothing to cover his face with (other than a possible skateboard), no hat, no scarf, only a loud sweater. It would make more sense imho if somebody picked him up. Perhaps he knew when exactly he was getting picked up, indicating that the murder was planned, as if it were some exam on cruelty, and he passed, so his mentor picked him up.

If he committed the murder for someone, for whatever purpose, this could explain why he did not take all the money. He took only a portion of it because he couldn't resist the temptation, but he didn't take all of it to conceal the fact that he had taken any money at all. They (or he) knew the murder would be in the media and didn't want it to be portrayed as a robbery. If he confessed that he took the money, he would be encouraged to return it, something he wouldn't want to do.

The hypothesis that the killer was familiar with the house layout also fits in here, as well as the fact that he knew the house was not empty—there were lit windows—and he apparently knew who was in the house. He knew he wouldn't encounter a family of sumo fighters, so he knew he could manage to murder all the members.

These are just my current thoughts, which may be wrong, and I may change my perception later on as I think more about it. JMO.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

This is something that has left me quite perplexed. Why, out of all Mikio's clothes, did he choose this particular item with the word "LOVE" on it? It's something that would surely attract attention, and I imagine his family would question him about where he got it from. Why not pick something plain and dark? I would assume he also wore something as a first layer, like a t-shirt, otherwise, he would easily stain that eye-catching sweater.

I think the sweater says DIVE, not LOVE. The letters are fish-based / nautical. But yes, seeing a man in only a sweater in the middle of the night or dawn would stand out. If I were walking past him, my first assumption would be he was a jogger. But then you see the bandaged hand. Maybe you even notice the white shoes with red stains on them. Blood?

Considering it was a cold night outside, how did a lightly dressed teen manage to get to his destination?

Either he lives very close by or, as is my belief, he had access to a car.

I don't have a theory on the most likely route of escape. It's not impossible that he took a train, imho, but then it means he had nothing to cover his face with (other than a possible skateboard), no hat, no scarf, only a loud sweater.

It is not impossible but there was CCTV on the public transport network, even in 2000. Plus, it was New Years Eve. Even if the killer took the first train of the day, on a short journey of only a few stops, it would be incredible to me that not a single Tokyoite saw a young man with a bandage with no jacket (unless of course he had one that he brought with him but given how flawed the execution of his initially plan was, I very much doubt he had the forethought to bring two).

It would make more sense imho if somebody picked him up. Perhaps he knew when exactly he was getting picked up, indicating that the murder was planned, as if it were some exam on cruelty, and he passed, so his mentor picked him up.

Possible there is no evidence of another individual in what we know. Of course, if that accomplice never entered the house, that would make sense. It would require TWO men to know evade the TMPD for 24 years flawlessly. I count discount this theory. But I can say that when comparing it to my POI, certainly I can't imagine how being mentored by anyone, much less murder for reasons outside of his own.

If he committed the murder for someone, for whatever purpose, this could explain why he did not take all the money. He took only a portion of it because he couldn't resist the temptation, but he didn't take all of it to conceal the fact that he had taken any money at all. They (or he) knew the murder would be in the media and didn't want it to be portrayed as a robbery. If he confessed that he took the money, he would be encouraged to return it, something he wouldn't want to do.

I'm not sure I follow. He's facing the death penalty. If he confesses to stealing the money, he's embracing the noose. Seeing as he patched himself up and did not turn himself in, I agree he definitely wouldn't want to return that money. What reasons were you thinking it would be better for this case to be labelled a multiple homicide over robbery/homicide? To impress a supposed mentor? At any rate, if this was his goal, he failed because that's precisely what the TMPD have it listed as in their case files.

The hypothesis that the killer was familiar with the house layout also fits in here, as well as the fact that he knew the house was not empty—there were lit windows—and he apparently knew who was in the house.

We don't know if he had any idea who was in the house, nor is there anything that proves he knew the layout of the interior. But for sure, he would have to be really stupid to have been surprised that there was a family late at night present in their own family home. This only strengthens my belief that his purpose was murder, not theft.

He knew he wouldn't encounter a family of sumo fighters, so he knew he could manage to murder all the members.

I do feel he had watched that family before. And my gut tells me he was confident, as he entered, that he could control the situation. Reality must have kicked in once he sliced open his own hand, though. The fact he didn't flee tells us a lot about him. It could tell us that he was past the point of no return. Or it could tell us Mikio had shouted up to Yasuko to call the police or something. Either way, this only makes the fact that An Irie and co only heard one solitary bang.

These are just my current thoughts, which may be wrong, and I may change my perception later on as I think more about it. JMO.

As ever, your thoughts are appreciated!

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Maybe another shirt folded into his hip bag that he wore instead? Could be.

I think what a lot of people miss is just how soaked in blood he would have been. He kept his trousers on because he was around 175cm to Mikio’s 165cm, but I bet they were completely saturated in it even after a clean up attempt. The tennis shoes too.

We have to assume his pants were dark meaning he could accept the blood-staining on them more readily than his M/X shirt which was white. The tennis shoes he could do nothing about, short of leaving barefoot. So maybe he splashed them in water as best he could and just hoped that, in Shawshank Redemption-style, who really looks at a man's shoes?

It would be downright stupid to wear that bright sweater outside after the killing because it would surely get blood on it as well. If he took the trains I fail to see how he wasn’t noticed or on CCTV looking like that.

That's my feeling too. He grabbed the first sweater he saw that fit him because it didn't really matter what he wore.

Unless he had a more immediate escape, like a car, where it didn’t matter as much.

 

[FacelessPodcast]

Is that possible that he stopped by someone's house, his friend's or girlfriend's one, somewhere close, on his way back? I am thinking that if a person stops by, washes, changes clothes, it is always possible to tell a story that sounds improbable, but is believed because in early morning of December 31, no one has discovered/made an announcement about the murders yet?
@FacelessPodcast, do you happen to know when the information about the murders became first officially available?

It's possible, yes. Though whoever's house he went to, hasn't either not suspected him in 24 years or has kept their silence for that long. If the latter, that would suggest a permanent relationship to me, such parents. RE: the reporting, I can't say for sure in terms of TV but speaking about newspapers, the first English-language piece is January 1st in The Japan Times. So, it's fair to conclude this news broke the very first morning of the 31st. In that reporting, it explicitly says, police on Sunday said... So, that's the day after. There was a press conference. It's a slow news period at the best of times according to the journalists in Tokyo I spoke with, so something like this, you can imagine. HOWEVER, all that said, there are places where people may not have been keeping up with the news. Rural areas, for instance. A US military base. How many were avid readers of The Japan Times? How much directly linkable information was carried in those early articles which would not only impel such a person to 'rat on' their son or friend or boyfriend etc but that would have been enough for them to make the realisation in the first place?

So I am trying to imagine. Let us say, a person you are in love with, or your good friend, stops at the house, with a wound on the hand, maybe bloodied, but he has explanation for it (fell, a dog attacked him, etc.) He is being helped, then takes off to his house, and the other person hears the news only, say, in the evening. It is really hard not to be in denial. And maybe, with time, the person realizes it was their friend who did it, but keeps silent out of fear (to be labeled the accomplice), shame (fear of being blamed) or out of love?

Yes, all possible. Or it's simply your son. So your choice is, give him up and he will potentially be executed by the State, or keep silent.

One wonders. The involvement of other people, no matter how unlikely, is not totally ruled out. Perhaps all that the other person did was giving the perpetrator a ride, or waiting for him?

What I want to say, is, maybe there is at least one person in Japan who still knows but is scared to spill the beans out of fear or shame? In such situations, in the US a potential witness would be offered protection. Are you aware whether the same been done in Japan re. all potential witnesses of the Setagaya murders?

Japan definitely has a witness protection programme. I am not aware of this relating to the Miyazawa case, however. I agree that there is almost certainly at least one person who knows, at a minimum, that the killer showed up with a fairly bad injury directly after the murders. My feeling is, however, that such a person doesn't necessarily still have to be in Japan.